Wilting Roses
by wellthizizdeprezzing
Summary: Bella's the new girl at school and Rosalie finds herself inexplicably crushing on her. Human AU
1. Chapter 1

Wilting Roses

Chapter one: The Meeting

 **A/N: Hey y'all. This is my third attempt at a Rosalie and Bella fanfiction. I would say this one is less dark than my previous stories with this pairing. And I intend to keep it light for as many of the chapters as I can.  
**

 _Pale smooth porcelain like skin. Big brown doe eyes. A slender yet not too small figure. Delicious pink lips. Brown shiny shoulder length hair. As soon as I had set my eyes upon Bella Swan I had become madly, deeply, and irrevocably in love with her. I had already decided upon making her mine. The only problem? By the time I realized my true feelings she wasn't mine to have.  
_

My obsession with Bella Swan wasn't a gradual thing. Oh no. It hit me all at once, like a truck to my gut and it kept me impaled onto the grill of it, even as it accelerated well past the speed limit, way past what was safe. It was dangerous and I wasn't the only one affected by these vile emotions as they leaked out of my body and corrupted those around me. I wouldn't categorize my feelings for Bella under crush, like, or even admiration. It was like something had possessed me, enraptured my thoughts and bound my beating heart. A crush was something silly and fanciful, something that went away with time as did liking someone or admiring them. But this, this had taken root in my body and was here to stay, sucking away my sanity like a parasite.

The first time I had meet Bella was during the middle of my sophomore year in high school. The school had been abuzz about the chief of police's daughter and what she would look like or act, and I had yet to see her. As any healthy teen I was curious about this new student who was stirring up the student body. Wild rumors flew around. Was she a rebel? Could she shoot a gun? Did she like cops, or hate them? Maybe her boyfriend was a criminal!

My first glimpse of her had been in the hallways between class, but it had been brief, a snippet of her hair, a snapshot of her back. It was during lunch that I got my first real look at her. I was sitting with my friend group of Edward Masen, Emmett Cullen, Alice Brandon and my brother, Jasper Hale. We were the cool kids at school. We had it all. Smarts, looks and money. Other kids wanted badly to be in our group and tried to gain our favor by stealing our fashion sense or by copying the way we interacted. Alice and Emmett had no issue with this. They were the most talkative of all of us and interacted a lot with the rest of the student. They were the most approachable of us all as well and the student body loved them for this. Edward and Jasper were less outgoing, preferring each others company to anyone elses. The two boys were as close as two peas in a pod and this was probably due to their shared moral senses and taste for old fashioned era clothing, music, and lifestyle. They were also quite popular among the girls, because of their more mysterious and gentleman like ways, yet they remained single.

As for me, I was the queen bitch, or ice queen to put it more mildly. I didn't care for being social, or for the opinions of others. I did have many admirers because of my beautiful blonde hair and model's figure but I shut down every attempt at a guy asking me out. I had no interest in dating someone from Forks high. I was too good for that; my standards too high.

Some people didn't understand this, like poor Mike, who after a hundred outright refusals still hasn't gotten the message. He had been on me since freshman year day one and no doubt would continue to pester me until graduation.

Anyways, I was sitting and talking to my friends at lunch about what trip we should go on this weekend when Bella had entered the cafeteria. She looked a bit nervous as she walked into the cavernous eating hall full of wild and rowdy teenagers. She was wearing a black sweater that was two sizes too big on her, jeans cut at the knees and scuffed converse. Her whole look was very humble, and she thumbed the strap of her shoulder bag. With that motion I noticed she wasn't wearing any nail polish, her nails bit down to the quick. Taking in the combination of her features quickly, I deduced that she was pretty but in a subtle way. Her beauty didn't immediately stand out like mine did, it didn't turn heads or call the attention of everyone in the room, but it was there. And it had hit me full force.

That was the moment I fell in love with Bella, and I can never logically explain why it happened. It was just a normal moment like any other and it shouldn't have mattered but it did. The feelings were abrupt, and they span me off my feet, making me grip the table I had been seated at with a white knuckled grip for stability as my mind whirled around chaotically. I had to take a deep shuddering breath to calm myself, and to soothe the deep throb in my chest. What was going on? What were these strange sensations?

I didn't understand at first what happened in that moment, but looking back on it I understood how pivotal it was to the progression of my future. I cursed that moment a thousand times over, wishing that I had never set eyes upon her.

"Hey look, it's Bella." Emmett paused in his conversation and everyone turned at the table to look as the brunette was snatched up by Jessica to sit at her table. "She looks rather normal," he grunted out, sounding a bit disappointed.

"What were you expecting?" Jasper said, his soft voice slightly scathing. "That she would have three heads or something?"

"No. But I was hoping one of the rumors could be true. Like how she was actually a punk rebel or something," Emmett clarified, shrugging and everyone at my table turned back inwards to resume conversation.

"That's stupid," Alice wrinkled up her small nose in disgust and Emmett very maturely stuck out his tongue at her. "Well she's not as pretty as I was hoping either," Emmett sighed as if this was indeed a grave matter. "Now who am I going to date?"

"You can just date any of the girls that throw themselves at your feet everyday," Edward said, picking at the salad on his plate. "It's not like you're going to run out of options."

"True." Emmett winked. "What about you Rosie? You've been awfully quiet. Nothing disparaging to say about the new student? Not gonna shit on her fashion sense?"

I had completely been wrapped up in my own world, and in the tumultuous feelings in me, and was only called back now. "What did you ask?" I tried to ask in as normal as a voice as I could muster while my heart raced madly and my hands shook slightly.

"You alright?" Alice asked, concern creasing her brow. "You look a bit pale."

No, I definitely did not feel alright. Inside I felt like I was waging a war that I was rapidly losing; one between my rational and my heart. Why was I feeling this way after looking at a person only once?

I nodded my head, thinning my lips. "I'm fine. Just preoccupied."

"You sure?" Alice was insistent and I exhaled. "Alice, I'm fine."

She wasn't convinced at all. From where she sat next to me, she grabbed my hands. They were cold and clammy and shaking. I tried to keep them out of her grip but it was already too late. She had felt them.

"Rosalie are you coming down with something? Your hands are so cold." Alice frowned. "I think you should go to the nurse."

"She's an ice queen, her hands are always cold," Emmett teased and the boys snickered but Alice was too worried about me to join in. I was going to disagree with her when suddenly it seemed like not such a bad idea. The cafeteria was too loud, too grating on my inner mind. I needed peace to think over what I had just internally experienced. "Alright. I think I'll go visit the nurse."

The boys chortling stopped at me actually admitting I would go to the nurse.

"Must be serious. Maybe the ice queens frozen heart is melting?" Emmett joked. I rolled my eyes at him in disdain as Alice escorted me to the nurse. But as we made our way to the nurse I couldn't help but think about Emmett's words. _Was_ my heart melting? It sure felt like it. Looking at Bella it had started to throb; it felt like it had been struck by something sharp.

 _Melting. Melting_...I mussed. What could make a frozen heart melt? Was it...love?

My face went two shades lighter and I stumbled, feeling light headed. Holy shit. It couldn't be love, right? Love at first sight only happened in movies, right? By the time we made it to the nurse I had worried myself sick and was teetering unsteadily on my feet, Alice holding me by the elbow.

The nurse took one look at my pale face and let me lay down on the cot in her office until I felt better. I lay there, trying to steady my breathing as the nurse typed away on her computer. The pain in my chest was still there but it had greatly subsided. I tried to rifle through my thoughts and make sense of what was happening to me. Was I really in love? Was I certain? I had never been in love before, so it could be that I had just been overwhelmed by Bella. Yes, that was it. For some strange reason I was overwhelmed by her, but that was it. I tried to tell myself I was satisfied with this answer but my body was still antsy. Sighing in annoyance I turned on my side and decided to mull over it some more.

I lost track of time, my thoughts too ingrained in trying to figure out what was happening to me, as well as I lost sense of what was going on in my surroundings. That was why when I finally decided to shift over to my left side to get comfortable, where the nurse had previously sat, I was surprised to find someone else there.

I bolted up in my bed, my heart beating in shock and...excitement? Sitting in the nurses chair with a badly bloodied knee was Bella Swan. She was shocked by my sudden movement and let out a little squeak, elbowing the desk corner with her elbow and letting out a hiss of pain as she grabbed it, rubbing her funny bone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you," she mumbled, her voice soft and melodic like bells. I was still in shock over who was sitting in the same room as me, my heart rate increasing a thousand times as I stared unabashedly at her. She grew uncomfortable under my gaze and coughed. Looking down at her knee she laughed awkwardly. "You're probably wondering how I got this. I'm naturally clumsy. It sucks. Especially since it's my first day at school." She rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, as I continued to stare at her.

 _Say something, you dumbass,_ I hissed at myself. _She'll think you're weird if you don't say anything!_

"Ah, um, that's fine. People fall." I wanted to roundhouse kick myself so hard right now, Chuck Norris would be impressed. Was that really the best I could come up with? This was now going to be Bella's first impression of me! As a total bimbo! People fall. What a great piece of advice! I could feel heat creep up my neck. And now I was blushing. What was wrong with me? Was I indeed sick? I never blushed. And my heart was racing madly, that certainly wasn't normal. Was I nervous? But I never was nervous talking to others, not even to teachers when I got in trouble.

Instead Bella laughed, a sweet sound that my ears drank up greedily. "That's some pretty solid advice."

"Thanks," I muttered out, blushing even more and wishing I could just bury my face in a pillow. That actually sounded like a perfectly reasonable thing to do now.

"I thought I was the only one who blushed like a beet. Glad to see I'm not the only one," Bella added. I groaned loudly at this and buried my face in my hands. Oh god she had noticed. I wanted to bury myself into a ditch, forget the pillow. This was so mortifying! But why was I obsessing over this conversation with her so much?

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I blush pretty badly too. I just wanted to make you feel better." Bella rubbed the back of her head in discomfort, a slight blush to her pretty features. Luckily the nurse came in at the moment, sparing us from any more embarrassing talk.

"I have some alcohol swabs here, Ms. Swan. Grit your teeth, it may hurt." The nurse got to work cleaning Bella's wound and plastering it. I laid down back on my bed at this, trying to refrain from looking at Bella. I wanted badly to talk more to her, despite being afraid of doing so. Gritting my teeth in annoyance I let out a huge exhale. What was going on with me?! I was always poised and refined, not this mess of emotion!

As soon as Bella left the nurse turned her attention to me. "You look all healthier now. Your face is a bit flushed but that's good. Drink some water if you don't feel well and stay at home if you feel worse tomorrow," the nurse commented and I cursed myself again for blushing like an idiot before. "Off to class with you now." The nurse shooed me out. I shot her a nasty look. She didn't have to rush me out. It wasn't like I wanted to feel this way.

I made my way to class with a heavy heart, upset at still not having reached an effective conclusion to my dilemma. It was already ten minutes under way and I handed the teacher a note from the nurse explaining where I had been. He barely gave the note a second glance before resuming his biology lesson. So I went to sit at my desk and froze right before it. Sitting behind me was Bella. She noticed my gaze on her and smiled tentatively, waving her hand at me. I gulped, panicked, and dove to my chair, not waving back to her. My heart was racing again and I could feel a warm blush crawl up my cheeks.

Alice, who was my desk partner, leaned over and whispered in a not too quite voice, "are you feeling better?" For some reason I felt too panicked still to answer that question so I mumbled out a hasty "shut up," and pulled out my notebook before hunching over it and focusing intensely on writing down the teachers notes, my blonde locks falling like a curtain around my face. I remained in that stiff position, never once daring to look behind me or at Alice for fear that they could tell something was wrong. I couldn't help but curse my luck. Of course Bella had to be in my class with me, and of course she just had to have the seat behind me. What the fuck kind of shit luck was this?

What was the world coming to? Was today gang up on Rosalie day and make her confused? A throb was growing between my brows and I wasn't any closer from all my stressing to understanding what was happening.

After class was over, I made sure to wait until I had seen from the corner of my eye that Bella had left the class first. Only then could I relax and pack up my stuff. She was gone. I was free. Yet I felt disappointment in my chest. Why was I disappointed?

As I packed up my things I felt Alice's soft hand on my shoulder, making me jump. "Rosalie, are you sure you feel better? You actually paid attention to class today." She looked pointedly at my notebook, page full of meticulous notes.

I shook my head at her worry, shoving the notebook away. "It's fine. I'm just a bit off," I rubbed my forehead at this and she didn't look any more convinced than before, but gave it up. "Let's go get ice cream then. That always makes you feel better."

"Only if you're paying," I smirked.

Alice rolled her eyes in exaggeration. "Fine. But only because I love you, bitch," she bumped hips with me and my heart jumped into my throat. Love. Love. Was it love I felt for Bella?

"And how exactly do you love me?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. What were the conditions for love?

"I just do," Alice answered. "I wouldn't talk to you if I didn't, or hang out with you, or let you freeload off of me all the time." She smiled up at me as I followed her out of the school. Alice's response was vague. I had hoped for something with more substance, that would help me figure out the geometric equation that were my feelings right now.

 _Enough thinking about Bella!_ I scolded myself. I barely knew her yet here she was taking over my thoughts already. Shaking my head free, I tried to put a bright smile on my face as I went to get my free scoop of ice cream.

 **A/N: I'd love to hear thoughts on this, as its my first time attempting to write from the I perspective.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

Wilting Roses

Chapter Two: Dark Desires

 _Lips as red as roses, and skin as pale as ice, she reminded me of Snow White. I knew her role in this fairy tale romance, but who was I? All previous facts pointed in the direction of the Evil Queen, yet now my heart was soft, so did that make me the prince who awoke the slumbering princess?_

The day after Bella's arrival was a new school day. I woke up feeling haggard from a night full of contemplation on whether I was in love with Bella or not, and it took my fuzzy brain a couple minutes in the morning to reboot and remember what had occurred yesterday. I immediately got nervous and excited at the same time. I wanted to go see her but I was afraid of doing so at the same time. Would she think me weird after our interaction yesterday?

Trying to push the needless worry out of my head, I got dressed and ate my breakfast, Jasper having already left to school ahead of me. He was an early morning person and liked to get to school thirty minutes ahead of time, whereas I loathed the mornings and would arrive at school just before the late bell rang.

Finishing my cold meal of cereal and milk, I traipsed to my car, unlocked the doors and made it to the school parking lot. I was out the car and on my way to the school building when a loud roaring caught my attention. An old beat up Chevy truck was making it's way into the lot and I scoffed. Who drove in that piece of shit? I got my answer soon after when the truck parked and out came Bella, wearing a green sweater and black cargo pants, along with her signature converse. Today her hair had been braided down her back and it brought out her facial features more clearly. I quickly turned on my heel when I realized I had been staring at Bella creepily. What was wrong with me?

"Rosalie!" A shrill voice called out and I almost wanted to believe it was Bella who was calling me with that much exuberance in her voice but no, the pitch was off.

"Good morning, Alice," I greeted as the smaller girl slammed into my side and wrapped her arms around me.

"Good morning. How are you feeling today?" she pulled away from me, her big blue eyes full of concern. Sometimes Alice reminded me of those porcelain dolls with those big eyes. Except she was missing the ringlets of hair and the fashionable dresses. Alice had short cropped hair, arranged messily, and worked in black, leather and grays. No hint of color ever found it's way onto her outfits yet she managed to make such plain colors look refreshing each time.

I was more of a red and black girl. I would wear any color except for yellow (what a nasty bright shade. It hurt my head to look at it) but my favorites to fall onto were the two colors. Red was a power color, and I needed to exhume the power I had over the school loud and clear even in the clothes I wore. And black just went with everything.

"Yea, I'm feeling better," I replied, although I knew I wasn't and wouldn't for who knows how long. Last night I had done some research on this because I hadn't been able to sleep and if it was a crush, by my calculations I should be over Bella by three or four months. So I had to stick through with this for a couple more months and I would be fine. Yet this was stronger than any crush had a right to be.

Yes, the great Rosalie Hale could apparently form a crush, despite not wanting to as no one was ever good enough for her in this beat up town. And it was on a girl of all people. Why had my brain suddenly decided to do this to me? I felt utterly betrayed. I liked boys! Or at least I had only ever looked at boys since I had just assumed I was straight.

With a start I realized I had gone off into my head again and hadn't heard a thing Alice had asked me. "What did you say?" I could not find a way to ask her without her knowing I wasn't listening so I was expecting her pout.

"Rosalie, did you seriously not pay attention to what I just said?" Her hands were cocked on her hips as she arched a brow at me. "Are you sure you're really fine?"

"Yes," I said with a touch of exasperation. "I was merely thinking about some things."

"Fine," Alice huffed, not satisfied with that. "But as I was saying, I want to throw a party for next month."

"What's the occasion?"

"Does there need to be one?" We had made our way over to the school doors by now where a couple of student's were sitting on the steps. One of the boys whistled appreciatively to try and get my attention. I shot him the middle finger, making his friends laugh at him. "My parents are going to be out of town on that weekend so I want to make good use of the empty space. Besides, I got a reputation to uphold. I need to throw a party. It's been three weeks by now," Alice continued. "And I'm going to invite Bella to it too."

"You what?" I couldn't help but crane my neck at this to give Alice a startled look. "She's the chief of police's daughter. She could call the cops on us or something. Do you really want that to happen?"

"It won't happen. She's too chill for that. And she's new here so I know she'll appreciate going to a party and being able to make some friends."

"Parties aren't the best place to make friends," I grumble out before a more concerning thought takes place in my mind. Alice only invited the cooler of the less cool kids (as _my_ groups of friends were the coolest in the whole state). While she was super friendly and was kind equally to everyone, she did abide to some high school hierarchy rules, and thus only let those she felt were cool enough to attend her party be invited. So it was a bit of shock that Alice had suggested this. Did she think Bella was good enough cool kid material?

"You want to befriend her?" I say this with a hint of panic. Befriending Bella means she'll be spending more time with Alice and since Alice is my best friend that means the brunette will be around me often and thus that means I'll be seeing more of her. The thought terrifies me at the same time it elates me. "Why?"

The two of us stop by the lockers, Alice imputing her combination and opening up her locker to get her textbooks. I do the same. "Why not? She's the police chief's daughter. Imagine all the cool perks we can get if she's on our side. We can get away with more shit." She's delighted by the prospect, I can see it in the way there is an all too familiar glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

I make a noncommittal noise at this. Normally I wouldn't be against using some one so I could get the benefits of being acquainted with them but I suddenly don't feel like having Bella be treated this way, for whatever inexplicable reason.

"I don't know..." I said uncertainly. "She could turn out to be a total sell out and get us in more trouble than she could benefit us."

As Alice slammed her locker shut, she smiled up at me. "Where's the harm in trying? And if she causes problems, you know what we'll do." Her words made a shiver go down my back, one that I tried to ignore by suddenly busying myself with something in my locker. I know what Alice is talking about: bullying. It's been done to those who thought they could take away my position of power, or any of my ingroup's members high status rankings. For as kind and sweet Alice could be, she could be as equally evil and mean. The student body thought I was the bitch, not that I wasn't, but they didn't know that Alice could be an even bigger bitch if the need be. The boys could be downright cruel too, but they let me and Alice handle the brunt of the work.

I felt tempted to tell Alice to leave Bella alone then, if one of the outcomes of Alice trying to form a friendship with her could lead into Bella getting bullied if it didn't work out. But I didn't say anything, because it was a stupid crush I had on her and not love. Not at all. And within a couple of months I wouldn't care about her, she would just be another resident of this disgusting town, another peon beneath my feet.

I was working up some comment to what Alice had said when the girl ducked past me and down the hall. "That's her over there. I'm gonna go talk to her." She gave me a quick wave and was down the hall. Slowly closing my locker door I watched the two of them talk to one another. Bella seemed taken aback by Alice's exuberance but quickly recovered and was smiling at something my best friend was saying. Something in my chest tightened as I saw the two of them talking and then walking off towards class. Only when the bell rang did I tear my eyes from them and go to my own class.

The whole rest of the morning I wondered how Alice's attempt at friendship had gone, paying half hearted attention to what my teachers were saying. When lunch arrived only then was I able to ask her. "How did your conversation with Bella go?" I casually munched on an apple, trying to seem uninterested. Bella was a nobody to us, so it wouldn't do good for appearance if I seemed to be too invested in Alice's pet project.

"You talked to her?" Emmett asked around his mouthful of sandwich. He seemed a bit surprised.

"Yes," Alice confirmed, setting down her tray as she sat down next to me, Jasper to her left. "I was thinking we could befriend her and use her law enforcement perks to help us when we have our run in's with the law."

"Do you really think she could do all that? She's only his daughter, not an actual police officer herself," Edward pointed out, casting a look over his shoulder as he saw Bella enter the cafeteria, nervously thumbing her bag just like she had on that first day. She looked as lost as ever in this room of hormonal and starved teens. But just like yesterday, Jessica snatched her up and took her to her table.

"What's the worst that could happen to us if she doesn't help us?" It was a rhetorical statement. Everyone of us knew that she'd be the one to suffer if she dared to breath a word of our activities to anyone.

"Are we going to vote on it?" Jasper asked, folding his hands in front of himself, and leaning forwards more. This was an important thing my friend group did. Before any important decision was reached we had to vote on it, because whatever we did we had to be fully invested in it, or at least three out of five people invested in it.

"I don't see the harm in letting Alice test her," Emmett admitted, shrugging his massive shoulders. "Maybe she might even have a secret naughty streak and want to help us do our 'events'."

"Edward?" Jasper moved onto the next person. As the most level headed person in the group, my brother was often the leader of these votes, and had the final say on the matter.

"I agree with Emmett. Let Alice do her thing." At this point Alice was beaming widely, happy to have her indulgences catered too.

"Rosalie?" It was my turn to answer.

"Good luck with being her friend Alice," I egged her.

"Then it's settled, as I vote in the affirmative as well," Jasper concluded the voting session and Alice clapped her hands in excitement before she peeled back the wrapper on the school issued lunch. "Don't worry, Rosalie. I'll be friends with her before you know it."

 _Hopefully not before my feelings for her don't end. Because being around her while crushing on her will not be fun,_ I internally conclude.

And for the rest of the lunch period I avoid the urge to look over at Bella's table.

* * *

True to her word, Alice took on the task of befriending Bella with her usual vigor and pep. Alice would seek Bella in the hallway between classes, or early in the mornings or after school. They'd chat about small matters, the conversations usually not lasting more than ten minutes. Alice always did like to expose her victims to small amounts of her crazy personality before she took them out for an extended period of time and hit them with a huge dose of it. It was during these longer sessions that Alice could truly determine who was cut out for a higher ranking cool factor in her book-basically, who she could call her 'friends'. And Alice was going to take Bella out on one of those longer excursions this weekend. And she wanted me to come along.

"Why?" I couldn't help blurt out as I paid for my smoothie at the local smoothie shop, and went over to the side to wait for my order to arrive. Alice had already gotten hers and was slurping it up. She never did have patience when it came to eating or drinking something. Or for pretty much anything else for that matter. Her life was always about rushing to and fro from one thing to another. She tended to lose interest in things easily, which is why she had as many friends as she did have ex-friends. She'd probably do the same to Bella, dropping her in a couple months time after she got bored with her. That wasn't the case with me. We'd been good friends for a year and a half by now. I was unpredictable, or so she claimed. It's what drew her to me and kept her there.

This was largely due to my lack of expressed emotion. Alice was a very expressionist person, having the capability to produce hundreds of differing emotions, and she thrived off of other peoples feelings. It was what let her read them so easily, what let her get into their minds and hearts.

With me, well I didn't have feelings like a regular person. I seemed to register things differently, having maybe only ever felt real anger, sadness, happiness and annoyance throughout my life a handful of times, otherwise everything else had been faked for appearance. I had never felt concern, or jealousy, for why should I when I already had everything in life? And even if I did feel something, I bottled it up behind my ice walls. I was cold inside and out and this scared people. They didn't know how to deal with me. But that was fine. I didn't care to deal with people. I wouldn't even mind being friendless. I didn't need my popularity but it seemed to follow me to whatever school I went to because of my good looks. And once I got used to be fawned over by others, it was sort of hard to not be used to receiving that standard wherever I went. But if I was going to be a popular girl I need to have a Schick, and so on top of the facade of not having emotions, I also wore the mask of being a heartless and vain bitch.

And it worked quite well. It had gotten me to the top of the school food chain in no time. And it had garnered the attention of all my current friend group. In one way or another we had gravitated to each other.

"I just thought it would be nice if slowly I got her to know more of the members of our little circle," Alice shrugged.

"But you haven't even tested her alone on your big excursion. Wouldn't my being there interrupt this testing?" The drink arrived and I picked it up, taking a sip as the two of us left the store. We were out chilling downtown after school. The boys had gone to go drinking with some of the town college students.

"I think it'll be fine. Ms. Swan is very malleable. She'll be eating out of our hands soon."

I didn't like this analysis of her, but I didn't like the fact that I was slightly feeling defensive of the girl even more. A month had passed since I had first let my eyes fall on Bella and I still felt ridiculously nervous around her. So much so that I tended to ignore her pretty much all the time during our one shared Biology class. Alice of course would use the class to get even closer to the brunette and the two chatted away. Sometimes Alice would try to include me into the conversations and I'd say a thing or two, all while avoiding Bella's eyes. Other than that I would go right back to staring at the front of the room, arms crossed over my chest.

I think this intimidated the girl, especially since I had seemed like such a blubbering fool before her the first and last time we spoke. I didn't dare to make an attempt at conversation with her for fear I'd embarrass myself again. I kept it at a simple wave hello and wave goodbye and allowing myself to be prodded for opinions by Alice on certain topics.

I really did want to talk to Bella; it was hard to resist the temptation to do so. But I would not risk looking like an idiot because of her in such a public space. I was Rosalie, the unwavering ice queen and it would stay that way.

Still, my ears greedily drank in every word that was exchanged during conversation and I paid more attention than was healthy to what she was talking about. I knew she liked the color green, that she was widely versed in German poetry, that she wasn't a fan of watching TV, that she liked organic food, that she hated the school lunches and that she enjoyed spending time by herself when she could, and if not she liked going on walks in the forest behind her house.

I also paid attention to her frustrated grunts, her irritated sighs and her soft ohs of wonder as she pondered over the classwork, stressed over the homework, and had moments of understanding on the material. More than once I imagined what her face looked like when she emitted these sounds. I pictured for the first one she would be holding a pencil clamped tightly between her hands, biting her lip in anger management. For the second one she'd blow up a strand of her hair, pouting, her full bottom lip sticking out. And for the last one her brown doe eyes would open wide in wonder, her lips stretching before she bit them in shy contemplation on what to do next with this sudden revelation she had had.

And by god did her lips drive me crazy. She was always biting them no matter her emotion. Nervous, mad, happy. She always seemed to like biting her lip. I shouldn't know this, but I do as whenever I can sneak a glance at her when no one else is looking, I can see her doing it.

"Still," I said, returning my thoughts to the present. "I have something that day-"

"No you don't," Alice cut in. "We both know that we know your schedule for this weekend and it is clear. Besides, I need someone with good fashion advice to help me pick out an outfit for the upcoming party."

"Alice, that party won't be until two weeks from now."

"It never hurts to get an early start on clothing. So, picking you up at ten in the morning tomorrow?"

"I'd rather be the one driving," I said, trying to not let my irritation at being forced to go on this trip show. If I drove, at least I wouldn't be able to be distracted by Bella being in the car as much. Also, I loved cars, so why miss out the chance to drive in one, and impress Bella with my stylish wheels-did I really just think that? What was I? An overcompensating guy?

"See you tomorrow then," Alice planted a goodbye kiss on my cheek before she bounced off to go home.


	3. Chapter 3

Wilting Rose

Chapter Three: The Test

 _The way I tremble when her skin brushes mine, the way my skin flushes at the thought of her, does she know? Does she know how breathless her smile makes me, how warm I feel inside when she greets me by my name? Does she know the things she does to me? Her existence drives me crazy but I know that she doesn't know. And until I gather the courage to pour all my emotions out, she won't know._

The drive to the mall is nerve wracking and I keep my hands plastered to the steering wheel at all times in a white knuckled grip, my eyes never leaving the road. Alice is in the passenger seat and Bella sits in the back. The two are laughing about something and I try to tune their words out because I don't want to be paying this much attention to Bella's words, but I do regardless of how hard I try to distract myself. I can sense her presence in the car and it's smothering. All my senses are hyper aware of her and I can smell the vanilla shampoo she used from here.

 _Only two more months of this stupid crush,_ I tell myself. _Only two more._

I never thought feelings could be this bothersome and I was happy I never had much to deal with in the first place. How Alice managed with her plethora of nuanced emotions was beyond me.

 _I wonder if she even knows what she does to me. It would be great if she knew and then could stay the fuck away. But Alice wouldn't let her, cause we need her for our plans._

"Rosalie, you haven't said anything today," Alice's bright voice forces me to take my eyes off of the road so I can look at her. She's looking at me eagerly. "What do you think about maybe getting a snack at the mall?"

"It's fine with me," I say lightly, snapping my eyes back to the road when I realize their unconsciously sneaking their way over to Bella. If Alice notices how stiffly I'm sitting she doesn't comment on it-yet.

The mall turns up on the right side and I pull the car over and park it. It's a huge complex, one that Alice loves revisiting even if the drive is longer, because its way better than the one we have in Forks.

"Let's hit up Sally's on the third floor. Their having a sale and I want to check out some things there," Alice suggests as she grabs Bella by the arm and pulls her at a brisk pace to the mall. I walk behind them, trying to ignore the way the two of their hands seem to mesh together so well. It's never bothered me this much before when Alice get's touchy with someone else. But she's getting touchy with Bella.

I swallow down the jealousy rising in my throat and it tastes bitter. I've never felt jealous before; the emotion foreign and unwelcome in my body. It's an unpleasant emotion that makes me want to tear their hands apart and scream at them to stay three feet away as they walk.

Seriously, what was the girl doing to me? Bella's arrival to the school, so simple and unnoteworthy, much like her entire existence to me should be, was making me stress over the smallest things. Like her hand being touched by someone elses that wasn't mine.

 _Relax Hale. Breath in and out. This trip will be over in five hours and then I can go back to pretending Bella doesn't exist. I won't even have to talk to her on his trip, because Alice will do all the talking._

Of course, that reassurance proved to be false, because Alice instructed the two of us to wait outside one of the stores while she went to return something. "It'll take a quick moment. And I don't want you seeing my mean side as I return this," Alice said playfully.

 _I've already seen your mean side,_ I commented to myself but was quiet even as my heart went into overdrive. _Holy shit, I'm going to be alone with Bella!_

The two of us stood awkwardly outside the store, me with my arms crossed over my chest and Bella fidgeting with her arms. The girl could never stay completely still I noticed, while I could be so still sometimes that I could give a statue a run for their money.

I could feel an uncomfortable tension due to the silence between us and I was half tempted to break it, but I didn't want to open my mouth and say something dumb to her.

So she opened her mouth instead.

"Hey," she started, a tad awkwardly. She paused, waiting for me to say something.

"What?" I asked, trying to sound a touch annoyed at her speaking up to me even if I was actually nervous.

"I, uh, well...did I do something wrong to you?" Her tone seemed hurt and I couldn't help but look over at her. She was playing with the ends of her shirt, eyes not meeting mine. Was she stressing over me? It was only natural, I supposed that she should feel this way, as I could make a great many deal of people feel uncomfortable with my stony silence and ice cold demeanor.

"Why do you say that?" This was asked more for pretense. I already knew why she was asking me this. She was fazed by my attitude. Compared to Alice, who was warm and radiate as the sun ( she sure could burn someone like it too if they tried her hard enough) I was the moon, still glorious in my beauty but a whisper, a reflection of having an actual personality.

"It's just that you don't really talk to me even though Alice tried to engage you multiple times. Is it...was it the comment I said about you blushing a lot?"

 _Oh dear lord she remembers that._ "No." I can feel a blush coming on just as her words but thankfully I can rein it back in this time.

"Oh. Okay." She seemed disappointed at this and even if she wanted to say something more there is no time as Alice pops out of the store.

"Alright girls, I'm all done here. Now the real fun can begin!"

Alice then dragged Bella and me around the mall for five hours straight, barely letting us rest as she shouldered on in the search of good deals on clothing and accessories. Her family had a lot of money, but it didn't hurt to get something for cheaper, as Alice always said, because then she could more readily give it away for charity to those less fortunate. Bella was surprisingly able to keep up with the smaller girl. I was shocked by this as even I would get tired and I loved shopping. No one loved it more than Alice though, the girl no doubt being able to live in a mall if she could.

At last we reached the final store, where I helped Alice pick out yet another outfit for her upcoming party. I hadn't bought a lot for myself, but then again I didn't need any new clothes. I still had a ton of outfits I hadn't cycled through. And Bella didn't seem too big of a shopper as she had only purchased some new converse. She loved that shoe brand it seemed and I filed that knowledge away for later use.

"Thanks for helping me. And for being patient with me," Alice told Bella as our trio made it's way to the food court. It was getting pretty late in the evening and soon it would be time to drive back.

"It's no big deal, really," Bella assured Alice. She was currently helping carry some of Alice's bags for her as was I. I wondered how all of them would fit into the car.

"Aww, you're sweet! As a reward food is on me."

"It's fine, you don't have to!" Bella began to shake her hands in an effort to dissuade Alice but the girl wasn't listening. "What do you want? Some fries? Oo, how about a nice burger?"

This was the part of the plan where Alice began to buy out her victims loyalty to her. The expense didn't matter, as long as Alice could get what she wanted in the end.

Bella and Alice argued over this for a couple more seconds but Alice won out in the end. "Do you want the same?" Alice then turned to ask me and I nodded my head.

"But I can get it myself."

"Nah, my treat. For carrying my bags. And driving me here," Alice sauntered off, leaving me yet again with Bella.

"Let's take that table there," I suggested, pointing one manicured finger at it. Bella followed after me and we set our bags down.

There was silence, the conversations of other people around us filling it. The girl yet again was fiddling with her hands, looking down on the table, at the wall, looking behind her shoulder, a thing people did when they didn't know what to say. At last she turned back to me when it seemed I wasn't going to say anything, or when she realized Alice wasn't going to return yet.

"So, did you not see anything you liked at the mall today?" Bella started, her voice a bit high pitched.

"No." I wonder if that reply is too curt because as soon I say it Bella looks away from my face, thinks about something and then speaks again. "Alice told me she's hosting a party. She asked me if I wanted to come. I've never really been to a party...how do her types of parties usually go?"

So Bella wasn't the party type. Would she then engage in the other activities my friend group conducted? Or maybe Alice would convert her? Surely Bella was compliant enough. She hadn't complained once while Alice had made her try on some new outfits. Alice hadn't bought any outfits for her yet but it was only a matter of time before that stage hit.

"They go...well," I respond with, hating how I can't think of anything good to say. My usually eloquent speech was turning into a first grade level conversation. I wanted to kick myself. What was with me and not being able to talk around Bella? I cursed Alice for leaving us alone again.

"I see..." Bella trailed off. Silence fell upon us again and I took to looking at my nails, internally screaming at myself to say something, at the same time I urged Alice to get her butt over her.

Just as I had gathered up the courage to ask her about her love of converse, she got up. "I'm gonna use the restroom."

"Stupid idiot," I muttered to myself as I let out a sigh and rubbed my hands over my face.

"Whose the stupid idiot?" Alice asked curiously, making me jump as she came up silently behind me. She was carrying a tray of food for us.

"You," I growled out.

"Ooo, someones pissed off. Wanna tell me why? You've been tense the whole day." Alice set the tray down and took the seat next to me. I grabbed the burger and fries she got me.

Did I want to tell her anything about my feelings for Bella? No...it wouldn't be wise to do so. While Alice was open about sexuality, being bisexual herself, I was still certain at that time that I was only crushing on Bella and thus it would pass me and I had no need to tell Alice about my traitorous heart's feelings.

"I'm not as inclined towards her as you are," I said at last, hoping that vague answer would ease off her curiosity for now.

"But I thought you didn't mind her. We all voted on this. If had known I would have thought twice about starting my project." Alice pouted as she pulled a fry free from her meal.

"She's tolerable. I'll put up with her for you. I didn't say I hated her." No, she was barely tolerable to me but only because of how she made my pace rush, how she made my words fail me.

"Yet." Alice sighed as she completed my statement. "All this hate isn't doing good for you. Sometimes you gotta just let all your malignant feelings go so you can live more freely."

"But then who would be bitch of the group? Someone's gotta do it."

"You can still be a bitch even if you don't hate people," Alice pointed out. "But getting back to the topic of Bella." At this she did a quick check to see if the girl was around or not.

"She went to the bathroom," I explained, dipping my fries in the ketchup Alice had gotten us to share.

"I want to introduce her to the rest of the group. Maybe before the party starts. And then I want to take her to an 'event' of ours."

"Won't that be moving things a bit fast?" The thought of Bella at one of those events doesn't sit right me. I don't want her to see that side of me or my friends. I don't want her to think bad of me. I never was bothered by these events happening, but with an outsider...we rarely let outsiders in, and if we did it was only for an event or two. But the way Alice was speaking it was as if she wanted to make Bella a permanent member of the group.

"It'll be fine. The sooner we can get her thinking she's our friend the better."

"You want her to be in the group, don't you?"

Alice nodded her head at this. "She'd make a good addition. She interests me. She's so weird and quirky and I can never tell what she's going to say."

"But she's not cool kid material. She won't know how to act under the limelight and she doesn't have a lot of money or a sense of fashion," I argued, stabbing my fries into the ketchup now. I didn't want Bella to be drawn into this life we had. The friend group had always been us five and now Alice wanted to put Bella, someone completely different from us, in the group? I couldn't see it going well.

"I can remake her. Trust me."

I didn't doubt that. But I doubted other things. "And you think the boys will just let you let her in this quickly? You think she'll even want to stick around after she finds out our secrets? After you change her?"

"Trust me," Alice repeated once more. Then the two of you quieted down as we saw who was coming. Alice plastered a smile onto her face while I let my face become impassive once more.

"Sorry I took so long," Bella apologized as she approached the table once more. "The line was pretty long."

"That's fine. Me and Rosalie were just having a chat," Alice waved Bella's apology away.

"Rosalie talks?" Bella blurted this out and it took her a second to realize how rude this comment was because she clasped her hands to her mouth as if she could someone shove those words back in, her eyes going wide and her cheeks red.

 _That's so cute. She blurts stuff out without thinking._ My brain thought that but my mouth, trained for many long years in the art of slinging insults, was already moving. "I do. Just not to people whose grandmothers have better taste in clothing."

I internally cringed as soon as I realized what I had said but just like Bella's words, it was too late to take them back. I cursed my steel tongue as I watched Bella's eyes shine with hurt.

Alice let out a wild laugh as she watched the exchange between the two of us. "Don't let Rosalie scare you off." At this she reached a hand over and patted Bella on the shoulder while she kicked me in the shin in warning. "She's actually nice and refined under her ice queen exterior."

I snorted at this but didn't say anything as I angrily finished the last of my fries.

"Oh, okay." Bella didn't know what else to say. It seemed my words had hurt her and even though Alice tried to keep her occupied with funny stories, she never quite recovered fully. This left me mentally kicking myself over and over.

Why couldn't I do anything right when it came to Bella?


	4. Chapter 4

Wilting Roses

Chapter Four

The Party

* * *

 _There once was a flower, a pretty red rose, which grew in a small secluded garden under the care of a brown haired girl. This girl came to care daily for this rose, and with her tender care this rose blossomed from the dry husk it had once been into the red beauty it was now. But another flower soon grew in the spot next to this rose. It was a lily of the valley, and it's pretty and sweet scent called the girl towards it. Soon the girl forgot to nourish the rose, spending all her time on the lily of the valley. The rose grew deprecated and lost it's beauty. It's petals browned and shrunk and the stem wilted. One day, after what had been quite a while, the girl seemed to remember she had had a rose in her garden. She approached the sad flower and the rose, thinking it would again be favored, lifted it's head up only to meet the cruel cold steel of garden clippers. The head of the rose fell to the ground, trailing red liquid. But the girl didn't stop there, digging into the dirt and pulling the rose out by the roots. She was making room for the lily of the valley which had overtaken the garden and needed the ground that the rose had once been in. the rose had been completely uprooted to make space for the other flower for the girl's garden._

* * *

Alice's plan to befriend Bella was working well. A bit too well for my tastes. Between the two weeks of the shopping spree and the party, the girl sat at our table each and everyday. She had been introduced cordially to the boys, all who greeted her kindly. They made an effort to know her better which was all a guise to gauging if she was cool enough to sit with us.

She had an odd sense of humor and she did say the darnest things sometimes, which explained Alice's want to know the girl, to want to be around her more consistently. Alice was always fascinated by 'new' things for a while, before she figured them out and got bored and tossed them aside. Whether Bella would stand the test of time would remain to be seen, but even Alice herself had declared that she wanted Bella as a long time friend, so it meant she saw something in the girl that she hadn't seen in others. Was this the same thing I saw and had lead to my crush?

I didn't know, and I probably wouldn't ever know. But what I did know was that the less I talked at lunch time the better off I would be. Bella had decided she would sit next to me for some reason at ever single lunch and it irked me at the same time it pleased me that she wanted to be by my side. It irked me because sometimes her elbow would brush against me, or her hair would tickle at my shoulder and I had to try hard to not full body flinch at this. I was too aware of her every movement and of the delicious smell that wafted up from her. My god, what kind of body wash did she use? I badly wanted it, just so I could smell more like her. Which was a creepy desire if I thought about it a second time.

But worse than her actions, which she wasn't aware of, was her words. She tried talking to me. To _me_. To engage me in her conversations. Which I really didn't want to be involved in. Because I just knew I would say something silly. Like last time, when Bella had asked me what my favorite color was and I had blurted out honey brown because I had just so happened to be looking at her hair discreetly when this had been asked. My blush couldn't be fiercer that day. And I had not so subtly tried to hide it as I had stammered an explanation for my choice.

"I thought you didn't like brown too much since it was such a drab color?" Alice asked in confusion, tipping her head to the side as she nibbled on a carrot stick.

"Uh, well my taste changed. Recently," I said, trying hard to not look at Bella's face. I was overwhelmed with the urge to hide my face but I couldn't because that wouldn't be like me so I held my head up with dignity as the blush raged across my cheekbones. "It's in season," I mumbled out at the end as if this made my sudden change more reasonable.

"You alright there, Rosie? You're face is all red," Emmett asked as he peered at me in concern.

"Fine. I'm fine," I insisted with some vitriol, as if I could convince them that nothing was suspect with my words when the truth was laid out plainly on my face. "I'm allowed to be human once in a while, aren't I? My face can change shades."

"But brown?" Alice said, as if not able to get over this. As if I had just told her a core belief of hers was wrong. Like how the sun was actually blue and not yellow. "You've disparaged that color so many times."

"Alice," I growled, threatening her to drop the topic. I was aware that Bella was looking at me but I was too scared to look at her. Shit, would she notice my slip up? Would she know I only said it because I liked her hair color?

"And honey brown specifically?" Alice went on and my nostrils flared. I was increasingly aware of everyone's attention on me and the wonder in their eyes at my clear discomfort. Oh how I hated my stupid mouth sometimes.

"Alice, if you value our friendship, then shu-"

"Rosie, what's got you so worked up?" Edward asked from by Alice's side.

I turned my glare onto him, willing him to shut up if he valued not only this friendship but his life. Was everyone not going to drop this?

"Just leave this alone. It's not that big of a deal," I muttered out through gritted teeth.

"But it is. I've never seen you look so uncomfortable. So if somethings wrong then we need to kno-" Edward pointed out and I really wanted to chuck something at his head.

"I'm only acting this way because of how much stupid attention you're placing on a simple color change!" I can't help but pound my fists on the table top. This doesn't have the desired effect of silencing them. Everyone merely chuckles. Even my own brother. Traitor! I shoot him an evil glare but he shrugs apologetically and does nothing to help me. As the 'head' of decision making in our group, the fact he stays silent means I am free to be made fun of.

"Come on, let us have some fun," Emmett pouts. "You never break composure. We just want to see if you still have a heart underneath all that ice."

I'm seriously about to throw my lunch tray at Emmett's stupid head and at his even stupider grin when Bella's warm hand closes on top of my fist. The action cuts short the anger rumbling in me and replaces it with warm fuzz. She's touching _my_ hand. _My_ hand. And her hand feels so soft.

"Is brown really such a weird color to dislike? I never knew there to be colors that were okay to favor or hate. If so, can you tell me if my color is strange?" Bella's gentle voice stops the teasing I was about to incur as everyone is surprised by her interruption. I feel my heart swell as I realize she is protecting me, or at least trying to divert the attention away from me. I cannot put into words how grateful I am now.

"Oh, and uh, what color is it that you like?" Alice is the first to recover, although she has to blink her eyes as if she waking up from a long sleep.

"Yellow," Bella says and she glances at me quickly from the corner of her eye but it is so fast I'm not sure if I made it up. She removes her hand from mine and I feel colder already. My fingers twitch with the stranger urge to hold her hand again.

Bella manages to turn the conversation away from me the whole lunch period. And while I'm still ruffled from the teasing I sit there because my pride won't let me leave. If I do then it just goes to prove how bothered I was.

That lunch period was the day I decided to rarely speak up at all for fear of saying something dumb, and it was also the day I developed the strange urge to hold Bella's hand.

* * *

If I thought Bella sitting with us at lunch was bad, what was even worse was her asking me for help going shopping. Why she wanted to, I didn't understand. At all. And she hadn't even asked me outright. She had asked me through Alice.

"She wants me to go shopping with her?" I groan into the phone as I roll over on my bed. I'm still in my pjs as it's a Saturday morning. The morning of the party.

"Yes. She said she likes your fashion sense and wants you to help her pick out some clothes," Alice tells me and I wrinkle my nose up. "But Alice, you're the one with better fashion tastes. Or at least you're the self proclaimed fashionista in the group."

"I know," Alice responds with and I can almost imagine her shrugging, moving her thin shoulders up and down in helplessness. "But she wanted to go with you. So you have to go."

"Do I?" I groan as I sit up in bed, already imagining me and Bella walking the mall together, holding hands. Ugh, I wipe that image from my mind as it makes my cheeks burn.

"Yes. She's close to being part of the group, and you know we do favors for each other. We promised to always be there for each other."

"But she hasn't taken the vow yet," I point out, already tugging my pants off with one hand, other hand holding the phone up to my ear. I know Alice is going to make me go no matter what, but I don't want to appear too soft and give in, despite how much I want to go see Bella.

"She'll take the vow eventually. And then you'll be super obligated to helping her. We all will, just as she will have to help us if we tell her to."

"Fine, fine. I'll go. Tell her I'll pick her up at her house in half an hour."

"I'll just give you her number," Alice says.

 _Her number?_ "Alice-" I want to discourage her from doing so but the girl is already saying her goodbyes and hangs up on me.

I look at the call ended screen and sigh. Not a moment later, an unknown number pops up on my screen. The message contains several excited emojis and an address from which to pick Bella up at. It's _her_ number. And now I can text her whenever I want to! But I squash that urge down. I wasn't trying to be her friend. I was only tolerating her for Alice. And for the sake of whatever plan she had going on.

I respond back to Bella with no emojis- didn't want her thinking I was actually exuberant in meeting her- and then toss my phone aside to get properly ready.

I roll up to her house half an hour later to see her sitting on the front steps, waiting for me patiently. "Good morning," she says cheerily as she pulls the passenger side door open and no, no, _no_ , what is she _doing?_ She can't sit next to me. She just can't- and fuck, she's doing it anyways.

I swallow down a whimper of panic as she closes the door behind her and her wonderful vanilla scent fills the interior of the car. Fuck, fuck, fuck! I hadn't counted on her sitting this close to me. How was I going to function now? How was I to keep my eyes on the road when I wanted to look at her?

"Good morning," I mumble back with when I realize I haven't greeted her yet and that it might be rude. She buckles up and I move the car down the road towards our destination. I keep my body stiff, my head pointed straight at the road.

There is silence in the car and I can't tell if she's uncomfortable or not, because I sure as hell am. I don't know if I should break the silence or continue it. What would be the more dangerous course of action? If I talk then I'll say something stupid. But if I don't talk then I run the risk of looking mean.

"Hey, uh, thanks for driving me," Bella eventually pipes up and she sounds timid in her words.

"It's no problem," I respond with, my mouth working on autopilot right now as I rack my brain for topics to converse on.

"I just really wanted to ask you for advice on what to wear to the party. And I also wanted to hang out with you for another reason," her voice lowers at the end almost shyly and I whip my head around to look at her. This sharp motion startles her from where she was looking at her lap and fiddling with her hands. I arch a brow as I wait for her to go on. She wants to hang out with me for another reason? Did she also have a crush on me- _Rosalie, get a grip, girl,_ I scold myself and try to ignore the puppy like joy in my chest.

"It was...well, because I wanted to get closer to you. To figure out what I did wrong," her cheeks blush at this but she looks up at me, her brown eyes wondering in their gaze.

Did she still think she had done something wrong? It seemed so. "You didn't do anything wrong." I look away as I say this, uncomfortable with her innocent stare.

"Then why are you acting so coldly to me? Everyone else is nice to me but when I try to talk to you, you don't really respond. And you seem fine with everyone else. Do you not like me?"

I wince at this. I couldn't say I was being a bitch to her because I had a crush, so then what could I say? "I'm just cold like that to everyone in the beginning. It's nothing personal."

"Oh, okay," Bella says with a small amount of dejection in her voice. Then she cheers up slightly as an idea hits her. "Then I'll just have to try harder to be your friend." She punctuates this statement by squeezing my extended arm to emphasis.

 _No, please don't. I can't stand you being super close to me. My heart can't take it,_ I internally lament but on the outside I force myself to smile and say, "fine with me."

And then I prepare myself for a vicious onslaught.

For the duration of the shopping trip, which thankfully only takes two hours, as it's the most I can stand to be around Bella without anyone distracting me from her charms, she tries hard to chat with me on various topics to get to know me better and I reluctantly answer her, but always after carefully editing my responses in my head to make sure I don't slip up again. This lends to stilted conversation, where she chatters on and on and waits for me to answer, long silences often prologuing my responses.

And when it comes time to pick some clothes, I pick a white dress for her made of flowy silk material. I know I am self sabotaging myself because if I see her in this she will become even more irresistible but I _want_ to see her in this. I need to. She seems happy with the choice and doesn't even try it on, trusting me with the choice. We leave back home after this. And dare I say I am almost happy about this day too. Because the whole day sort of felt like a date even though it clearly wasn't. Even though Bella clearly only wants to be a friend.

She texts me at the end of the day how she had fun with me and looks forward to being friends and I nearly squeal out loud as I read her words so I shove a hand over my mouth. I can't help it. The words fill me with warmth, because she wants to get closer to me of her own free will, and I want to text her back a whole paragraph but I stop myself and just text back a 'see you at the party'. Then I go do some homework before it's time to get ready for the party.

* * *

"Hey, Rosalie, could you help me zip up my dress?" Bella's timid voice asks and I turn away from my vanity mirror where I am touching up my already flawless makeup to see the girl has come into the room, clutching the front of her dress to her chest. Currently she and Alice are over at my house, getting ready for Alice's big party. The pixie's house has already been set up, with copious amounts of alcohol and snacks ready. Now it was only a matter until people started arriving.

"Uh, sure," I say, a tad caught off guard by the sight of Bella in the nice dress I picked for her. It is white and pure, like her, making her vaguely resemble a Greek goddess. And her hair cascades down her shoulder's like a waterfall that I want to run my hands through. As soon as I have that desire I squash it down. Lately my crush has been getting worse. I've begun to imagine...inappropriate things about Bella and I can't help myself. I don't want to think such things but they just pop up in my head and in the most unassuming of moments. I've begun to fantasize going on dates with her ever since the mall outing today morning. And on kissing her, the softness of her lips teasing me. I've never wanted to do this with anyone before and it's concerning.

God! It's enough to make my face flush. I only hope it doesn't get any worse than this; they always do say things get worse before they get better and I hope this is the case for my crush as well. Already it has been about a month and half of my dreaded feelings for the brunette and I have literally marked a spot on my calendar, denoting the day when my feelings shall pass. It cannot come soon enough.

When Bella turns around, she reveals a vast expanse of her bare back to me and my mouth goes temporarily dry. I wasn't ready to see this much free skin and I hope my fingers aren't shaking too much as I approach her and grasp at the zipper. She's holding up her hair, some baby hairs escaping and her sweet scent wafting up to me. Unconsciously I lean closer to get more of her scent as I slowly tug the dress up, hating to see her bare skin disappear behind the clothe but also relieved at the same time that it is. Because then my heart can stop thudding like this.

All done, the moment having felt like it stretched forever, I step away and she spins on her heel. "Well, I'm all ready for the party. Are you?" She looks a bit nervous and I want to reassure her that it will go fine. That she shouldn't be stressed out by it. Most likely she will end up wandering around the drunken crowds, get bored, and go home. But I don't say anything because that's not what my facade is.

"I'm always ready," I say arrogantly, tipping my head up haughtily.

"Yea, you always look so nice and polished," Bella murmurs wistfully, her eyes almost lost as they look at me, and then she blushes as she realizes what she has said. "I mean-uh, you just look put together a lot of the time. And I don't really so-"

Her flustered state is adorable and I can't help but smile at it. She notices my smile and takes it as something cruel. She deflates and ducks her head, taking that as her cue to leave. But before she can go Alice waltzes into my room, attired in a black mini dress with big hoop earrings and a bedazzled choker to complete the look. She raises both hands in the air, one which is clutching her black wrist purse.

"Are you girls ready to part-tey?" She exclaims and Bella let's out a little cheer. "Come now, you can do better than that," Alice playfully chides as she grabs Bella's hands in her own and lifts them up. Bella let's out a louder whoop and I try not to roll my eyes at Alice's antics. Instead I turn to the mirror and fluff up my long blonde hair, trying to find a fault with my appearance. But the purple off the shoulder dress and accessories I've adorned myself with are perfect and my makeup isn't smudged but intact soundly so there is nothing for me to do.

"Rosalie you ready?" Alice asks, impatient as always.

"Yes, I'm ready. Just checking a couple of things," I respond with, grabbing my phone and putting it in my mini purse.

"You always take so long," Alice whines. "You already look perfect, I don't see what more you have to fix." Alice's words are comforting to hear but they don't make me preen inside like Bella's did earlier. Why had the brunette even said so before? Did she really think that? Did she perhaps feel the same way- _no, no she doesn't,_ my cold conscious cut in. Everyone was always saying how beautiful I looked. Why should she say any differently? Everyone was enraptured with my looks. She was merely stating a fact. Sighing at my troubled reflection in the mirror, I schooled my features into something more impassive.

"You only think I take long because you can't sit still for more than ten seconds," I retort and Alice sticks out her tongue at me as she grabs my hand this time and pulls me out the door. "Come on or we'll be late. The boys have already arrived and their drinking. If we don't get their soon they'll drink everything I have!"

"There is no way you're going to run out of alcohol any time soon," I tell her but she wasn't listening, dragging me to my car so I could drive us there faster. Bella followed after us, teetering unsteadily in her heels. It was cute to think she never wore heels before. Maybe she would trip and fall into my arms-ugh! Seriously! Where was my mind running with that? It seemed I had gotten to the delusional part of the crush stage and I was _so_ not loving it. It made me feel like a complete fool to be thinking of such things. What was I? A six grader?

Grumbling to myself under my breath once more over my stupid crush, I got into the car and once everyone was ready I pulled out of my driveway and onto the road. The ride over to Alice's house was short but the girl cranked the radio up loud with tracks that were party orientated. She began to sing along with some of the songs and shake her shoulders and arms, making Bella join her. "Join us," Alice insisted, pushing me on the arm and I frowned.

"Alice I'm driving the car. I'm not going to dance," but her mood was slightly infectious and to appease her I started singing along with them. By the time we arrived to the house, we found the boys waiting outside for us on the front step. They were all attired in dress shirts and black pants. Just because it was going to be a party full of rampant teens didn't mean my friend group and I couldn't dress up and upstage them all. After all, we were the cool kids. We were expected to have a sort of class around us.

"You guys are so loud, we could hear you coming from half the town away," Edward said, taking a sip from the red solo cup in his hand.

"I don't even live half a town away," I said.

"Hey, stop drinking my alcohol!" Alice cried out in fake indignation.

"But what is one to do with alcohol if not drink it?" Emmett said in mock deep contemplation.

"I was saving that for all of us!"

"So then what's the issue?" While Emmett and Alice fake squabbled, I gave my brother a nod to acknowledge him being here. I turned to inquire to Edward what he was drinking but saw that his gaze went over my head. I turned around to see what had captured his interest so and saw he was looking unabashedly at Bella.

"You look so pretty," he complimented her, appraising her with too much interest in his eyes.

"Thank you," she blushed and pushed a strand of hair behind her ears, biting her bottom lip shyly.

I prickled at this exchange. _What the hell Eddie?_ _Don't tell me he thinks of her in that way?_ No that couldn't be. Eddie hadn't expressed interest in anyone that wasn't at least some sort of talented musician and Bella wasn't that. He was just drunk and his hormones were getting in his way.

Slightly reassured, I took charge of the conversation once more. "So Eddy, what's Alice got us drinking this time?"

He took his eyes from Bella's frame and smiled up at me. "Nice aged Whiskey. Or you can have cheap Svedka. But that's for the chugging I think. Whiskey's for flavor, to be savored."

I rolled my eyes. Edward had 'refined' tastes, so we always had to have something nicer for him to drink or he wouldn't drink at all. It was all the same to me. All that mattered was that it got the job done.

"Are we just gonna stand around here or what?" Emmett's loud voice boomed out and he gestured rapidly with his hand for us to go inside. "The alcohol's not going to drink itself."

"You're right!" Jasper cheered in response and chugged the contents of his cup in one go. We all went in, up to Alice's room where a row of bottles were lined up on her desk. They ranged from 20 to 60 percent and Bella looked a bit nervous as she eyed them. Poor girl didn't probably drink. At all, knowing her cop father. But this was the test. This was something she would have to pass in order to get in. Alice had warned the boys that Bella would be drinking with us for the pregame. This was something we rarely let others do. Only in extenuating circumstances. So they knew the drill. They were going to appraise her and if she was good enough to join the group like Alice wanted her too.

I didn't want Bella to join the group. Because if she got in then I would have to see her more often and I didn't know if I could control these raging emotions in me for so long if that was the case.

"What would you like?" Emmett asked, taking up the role of a bartender.

"Uh, I'll just take the weak stuff for now," she responded with. "I'm not quite sure of my alcohol tolerance and I don't want to push it."

"That's a smart choice. But, you don't drink?" Emmett asked as he poured her a cup.

"Only beers. With my dad," she answered with and took a sip from her cup, wrinkling her nose up. "This stuff is strong."

"If you think that's strong wait until you try spiritus. That shit is literally a hundred proof."

"I can't even imagine how that tastes," Bella shivered.

"You don't want to," Jasper commented as he sat down on the floor around a bowl full of scraps of paper that Alice had placed there. Edward too had sat around it and Alice was by his side. I sat myself down after grabbing a cup for myself and filling it with strong rum.

"I guess I don't," Bella acquiesced for lack of a better thing to say. "What are you guys doing?" she asked as she sat down and noticed the bowl there.

"We're going to play a little game were we pull things out of the hat and have to do them," Emmett explained as he sat down next to me, completing the circle.

"Like dares?"

"And truths," Edward supplied. He was sitting right across from Bella and I really didn't like the look in his eyes. It was like he had seen Bella in an entirely new light and couldn't stop looking at her. It made me want to sit in front of him and stop him from looking at her. But I couldn't do something like that, so I only gulped down my drink and bitterly stewed on the inside.

The game started with Alice, going counterclockwise. Dares and truths were pulled out one after the other. There weren't too many dares, most of them involving drinking or licking a body part or another of someone else. Dumb stuff like that. And the truths were more fun, having us admit embarrassing things. Most of this was to find out information on Bella since we all knew each other pretty well except for her. And she had a lot of entertaining stories.

As the pregame rolled on, the liquid sloshing through my veins and making me warm, I began to relax. Maybe having a crush wouldn't be so bad, I told myself drunkenly. It could be a nice thing. And Bella seemed like a nice girl. She was very...real. And down to earth. And so pretty.

But all the warmth that I had incurred during my gradual intoxication turned cold when Edward pulled out the last dare from the hat. "Seven minutes in heaven with the person in front of you," he read out loud and smugly.

It took my alcohol addled brain a while to catch up to his words but when it did it was furious. Cold drifted down my body and the cup nearly slipped from my grip. No. No, I wanted to shout out. Edward and Bella? Seven minutes in heaven? More like seven minutes in hell, for me. I watched with horrified eyes as Edward stood up, pulling Bella up by her offered hand. He said something to her and she giggled, moving unsteadily, her cheeks flushed with alcohol. Alice and Emmett were encouraging of this, urging them on to go into the nearby closet and do their thing.

But I couldn't do such a thing. I wanted to tear them away. I didn't want Bella to make out with Edward. It should be me in his place. Mentally I tried and prayed that they wouldn't go, that Bella would say no. but she hadn't backed down from any dare or truth the whole night so why should she stop now?

They walked over to Alice's closet and the door closed behind them with a loud click as Jasper set a timer for seven minutes. Alice, Emmett and Jasper began to talk to one another and joke among each other as to how far the two would go. I wanted them to shut up, so I could hear what was going on in the closet. I couldn't hear anything through the wooden frame door from this far away, but I feared to think what was going on. How long had it even been? A minute? Five? I couldn't tell. I was too on edge. Time spread out like eternity.

"Rosie, you alright?" Emmett asked, pulling me away from where I had obsessively been staring at the door, straining my ears.

"I'm fine," I mumbled, averting my eyes and downing down the rest of my drink. Then I stumbled to my feet, realizing I was a bit drunker than I thought. "I'm going to the bathroom." I left, unable to sit in that room any longer if Edward was getting his hands and lips all over Bella. God! I threw the cup angrily against the tiled bathroom wall and slammed the door shut behind me.

Ugh, this was so messed up. I didn't want to feel this way. I shouldn't be bothered by her romantic choices. They were her choices and no one elses. I ran the water in the sink and just looked down at it, having hoped to splash my face only to recall I was wearing makeup and couldn't do that. I gripped the sink edge, trying to control my emotions. I shouldn't have drank as much as I had but I had. It was harder to control my feelings this way.

I could tell this night wasn't going to go well.


	5. Chapter 5

**Wilting Roses**

 _Chapter Five_

 _So Unfair_

 **A/N: Been a while since I updated but the plot just wasn't coming to me for a while. Next chapter should hopefully be out earlier.**

 _Dark black. Blood red. White static. Colors that whirled inside me, consumed me. My fingers itched for the sweet release of drawing metal on flesh. They longed for the heat of the barrel against skull and for the bang and flash that would follow. My body ached to pour out what was inside me, the venom that poisoned my system and threatened to drown me in my own fluids. I knew a cure to this, a drug that would prove more helpful to me than any Advil or Aspirin. It came in the form of pale skin, brown hair, and brown hair. Yet this cure was out of my reach, watching with innocent eyes as my sanity broke in pieces in front of her eyes. It was all_ her _fault._

It was proving hard to not to hate Dickward. Ever since he had kissed Bella in the closet at Alice's party he had determined for himself that he was going to make her his. And that sickened me, so much that my veins boiled and my stomach churned and my muscles cramped up as I tried to hold myself back from wringing his slender little neck. And the bastard was so smug about it too. He didn't make it a secret that he was trying to get with her and that pissed me off. He had the audacity to think he could make Bella his? Bella was her own person. She didn't belong to anyone but herself. And potentially me.

Yet in the following weeks after that horrid party, he would openly flirt with her at the lunch table, giving her his trademark lopsided grin that made so many girls swoon haplessly. He dared to even give her his number and tell her to call him when she wanted to make plans to hang out. He didn't even give her the option of if, she wanted to hang out. He just assumed she would. He was so assured and cocky in his own charm that I wanted to smash his face in, wipe that stupid crooked grin off of his face.

But I couldn't do anything about it. All I could do was sit there at lunch and try to hold my resentment in while resisting the urge to plunge the plastic knife into his eye socket. Bella who sat next to me still, would squirm in her seat at his blatant flirtations, her cheeks glowing red. Each time she laughed her delicate bell like laugh, I felt betrayed. Felt like someone was stabbing me in the heart. How could she laugh at his jokes? He wasn't funny at all. He was dumb and stupid and everything bad in this world and I could be funny too. Why couldn't she see that?

I hated feeling this way. Hated hating my friend Edward. He didn't deserve my vile emotions simply because he had decided to pursue the girl of my dreams. He could do so openly, he was a man and she a woman. It was okay for them to get together. I was a woman, so it wouldn't be as widely accepted for me to come onto her like that. Besides, was she even gay? Or even somewhat bi? I had no clue. Thus it was insane to think that he was stealing her away from me, when she was never mine to have in the first place.

 _She would be happy with him,_ I reassured myself. She would have a loving and healthy relationship. So I swallowed my bitterness down and tried to act as naturally as I could towards Edward. But my hidden resentments would rear their head from time to time, especially when he would teasingly touch her on the shoulder or brush his fingers through her hair. Then I would end up being slightly salty the whole day, harsh words rolling off of my acidic tongue. My frustrations ended up getting taken out on anyone and Alice couldn't stand to see this continue. She pulled me aside one day after lunch after I had burst out on Emmett about some stupid joke he had made that I normally would have laughed at.

"Rosalie, are you okay?" she asked, with concern in her wide blue eyes. She had me pinned to the wall with her mere aura, her hands on her hips, small stature intimidating and keeping me there in place.

"Of course," I rolled my eyes derisively. I made to move but she blocked my way.

"Rosalie, there is something you're not telling me about. What is it?"

I sighed heavily. "Honestly, I'm fine-"

"Cut it out with that bullshit, Rosie. I'm your best friend and I can tell something major must have happened that night at the party because ever since then you've been quite bitchy."

"I'm always bitchy," I growled out, curling one end of my mouth up in a sneer.

"More than usual," Alice added, wagging her finger at me. "So out with it. Tell me what's got you so riled up. Is it Edward?"

I flinched at this. She was too close for my liking. "No," I stated but I knew I hadn't convinced her.

"Is it about him," she said, a touch triumphantly like she had solved an integral part of a mystery. "What is it about? Is it about his sudden interest in Bella?" I looked away at her words, afraid she would look into my eyes and see the secrets I held in my soul. Alice leaned closer to me, pestering me more intensely.

"Are you jealous?"

I shrunk my back more into the wall, feeling incredibly cornered and not ready at all for this conversation. "Alice-" I half pleaded half whispered.

"Do you have a crush on Edward?"

This froze me before my body relaxed and I let out an amused little chuckle. So Alice thought it was that. Thank goodness. I was about to tell her no, that there was no way I could ever have a crush on Dorkwad- Edward, I corrected, annoyed that I was being so rude to him in my thoughts. I must have imagined pounding his face in more times than I could count and I know he didn't deserve this. He was my friend. And I wasn't going to let a little crush on Bella come in between our relationship.

"So you do," Alice said, leaning back on her heels, satisfied that she got to this conclusion. I decided to go along. Pretending to have a crush on Edward would provide great cover for hiding my real crush. And besides, nothing bad could happen from this, right?

"Look- don't tell him-"

"Of course I won't. This is so amazing! Rosie, finally having a crush! Did he melt that frozen heart of yours with his warm smile?" Alice grabbed my hands and began shaking them up and down in excitement. "I can't wait to help you pick out clothes for dates and-"

"Alice," I cut in loudly, stopping the girl's excited rambling. "It doesn't matter what my feelings for him are. He clearly likes Bella. So I'm not getting in the way."

Alice's smile turned upside down. "You're giving up?" She seemed to be in disbelief. You would think it was her with the crush and the heartbreak going on and not me.

"There's no point-"

"No." Alice shook her head ardently. "I'm not listening to another word you're saying. This is the first time you've had feelings for someone else like this. It's monumental, your first crush. And I'm not just going to let you destroy it, to discard it like this. I won't stand to see that happen!"

 _Uh..._

"Therefore I'm going to help you out. We're going to make Edward fall in love with you. Make him forget all about his crush on Bella! I promise to make it happen." Alice shot me a warm and reassuring smile. But all I felt was cold inside.

 _Well, shit_.

I should have seen this coming.

The bell for class rang, signaling next period and the arrival of Alice's plan of seduction of Edward.

Why had I lied?

It was going to bite me in the butt and badly.

* * *

I tried not to think about my verbal fuck up all class period long but it was hard to do when the teacher decided we would be doing a group project and put me in the same group as Edward, Alice, and Bella. I knew working with Edward was going to grin my gears, and I was right.

We talked about what our topic would be, and who would do what portion of it, and I tried not to be bitter as I watched Edward casually sling his arm around the back of Bella's chair as if telling people to back off from his territory. I wanted to wretch his arm from that position but instead I busied myself with shuffling some papers around in my folder and rearranging them, trying to act busy. Alice noticed this out of the corner of her eye and looked over at Edward and then me again. I caught her staring and shook my head no, but she merely gave me a small smile and interrupted Bella and Edward's conversation, where Edward had been awkwardly trying to flirt with Bella, the poor brunette not knowing how to respond to his advances.

"Hey, let's all meet up at Rosalie's place to work on the project," Alice suggested and I gave her an odd look. _My place_? What was she planning?

"Sure, I don't have a problem with that," Bella said eagerly.

"Why not Bella's place?" Edward offered.

 _How rude! He's offering to go to her place, when it's not his offer to make!_ My blood boiled at his inconsideration of Bella.

"My place is way too small!" Bella insisted. "I wouldn't be able to fit all of us in comfortably."

"Exactly," Alice said proudly, as if she knew Bella would say no to his idea but yes to hers. "So Rosalie's place it is. Don't be late."

And with that it was settled that we would be going over to my place at 5pm, and I had had absolutely no say in this. Not that protesting would have done much good. It would have seemed weird that I would ardently refuse their arrival at my place. But I really was not looking forward to being unable to escape from Alice's plans even in my own house.

That was why I glumly headed back, trying not to brood too heavily when I got there. Before I could open the door Jasper did it for me. He had gotten home first since he got out a whole period early on Tuesday's and must have been waiting for me. Hmm, suspicious. What was he up to?

"Why the glum face, sis?" he asked as he let me walk past him. I tossed my car keys into the bowl in the hallway, cautious of my words. "Nothing. Just thinking."

"It doesn't seem like nothing. You got that whole Edward look down."

I bristled at being likened to Edward but kept my tone even. "I have no idea what you mean."

"I mean he gets this look on his face like he's very pained and its usually whenever he's thinking really hard about stuff. He gets all melancholy and quiet and sensitive just like you are right now," Jasper insisted as he walked behind me casually hands in pockets, as I shed my light jacket and book bag on the couches. Our mother and father's jackets were both missing from their usual couch spot so it looked like it was just me and Jasper in the house again. Alone.

"I do not look like Edward. At all." This time I couldn't keep the hint of venom from my voice. "And would you stop following me around? It's annoying!" I whirled to face him and found him grinning slyly at me.

"What's got you so upset about Edward?"

Oh great. Not another one. Was I really that easy to read? When had that happened?

"I am not upset at Edward! Why does everyone think that?"

"Everyone?" Jasper asked, his eyes glinting curiously.

Shit, I had let that slip. I had no choice but to go with it. "Yea, Alice noticed too, that supposedly I have an issue with him. But I don't. I'm just...moody. Which isn't usual for me." I quickly tried to amend my mistake.

"Yea, but you're _super_ moody, even more so than usual. And that's concerning." Jasper plopped down on the couch, patting the cushion next to me. "Come, sit down. Tell your big bro all about it."

I rolled my eyes at him. "You're only my big brother by three minutes."

"I'm still you're big brother. And it's my job to protect my little sister and figure out what is bothering her." He looked so earnest in that moment, so inviting, that I was almost tempted to give in. To spill to him the truth about how I liked Bella, and how I was jealous of Edward for being able to flirt with her openly.

But I didn't give in to the urge, because I kept telling myself these feelings for Bella were merely part of a stupid crush that was going to go away soon.

I shook my head no. "Sorry, but it's a girl thing. You wouldn't get it." Then I turned on my heel so I wouldn't see his hurt expression and went upstairs, trying to tidy up my room to keep my thoughts off of my issues. My group and I were meeting today for the project and I really didn't want to see Edward's stupid face at my house but I really didn't have a choice. I just hoped we could get our work done quickly.

* * *

Edward, Alice, and Bella all carpooled to my house together, bringing with them paper, glue, scissors and a construction board for the project.

"I can't believe Mr. Fabray wants this project due by the end of the week. There's too much to be done!" Edward complained as he lead the way to my room upstairs where I had cleaned up my desktop to make space for the project.

"And I can't believe he wants it due on a board. I mean, who even does that in this day and age," Alice added on, huffing so that a strand of her hair got blown up. It was looking a bit long; it was going to be time soon for Alice to cut it and I knew she'd be knocking on my door to ask for help with it. She trusted me to style her hair because she always thought I styled and cut and dyed my own so beautifully. I was always a natural blonde but I had had an emo phase back in Freshman year. Black hair, black nail polish, and the dark makeup to match it. I tried not to think about it _too_ much.

"Good thing we're starting it early," Bella said, ever the optimist.

Work was slow going on the project since Edward thought it appropriate to flirt with Bella the whole time- did he never get tired of it? It made me grit my teeth and send him nasty looks when he wasn't looking. Alice of course noticed this, and spoke up on my behalf. "Edward, stop fooling around. We've got work to do. You can flirt with Bella later."

Edward frowned at her for this, but listened without complaint because he became serious and focused on the task before him. I let out an inaudible sigh of relief at this, glad I would no longer have to listen to him croon words of sweet endearment. With him silent now, we were able to work more efficiently as a group. Or at least they were. I was constantly distracted by the way Bella would silently huff in contemplation over her project and bite her lip. Damn did her lip biting drive me crazy! I had to chew on the inside of my cheek to keep myself focused and consciously remind myself to keep my eyes on my papers and not on Bella's face. Somehow I managed it and by the time 10pm rolled around, we had finished a majority of our work.

"Alright, let's meet one more time before Friday to finish the rest," Alice said as she got up, cracking her back. My back too felt sore from having to stay bent over the board for so many hours and I massaged it with one hand as I gathered my things with my other.

"We'll meet at your place again?" Edward asked me and I nodded my head.

"I'll work on dolling up the board in my free time so that it looks better." I always liked my projects to look pretty; as pretty on the outside as the work was on the inside, just like me.

"Alice, I'll drop you off by your house first, is that okay?" Edward asked as he cleaned up his supplies and books.

"Actually, I wanted to stay behind and talk to Rosalie."

I tried not to wince outwardly at this. I knew what she wanted to talk to me about. She'd been pestering me all of the past two days through text (ever since my 'crush' got revealed) and was no doubt going to trap me and force me to talk about it in person.

"But how are you going to get back? You didn't bring your car-"

"Rosalie will drive me back, right?" Alice flashed me a smile, urging me to go along with her. I was half tempted to say no, just to spare me from her interrogations but she was my best friend, so I had to say yes.

"I'll drive her back."

"Okay. Come on Bella-"

"Also, we kind of need Bella too," Alice cut in, smiling innocently, hands behind her back as she rocked back and forth on her feet.

What was she up to _now?_

Edward flashed her an odd look at the same time Bella squeaked out, "me?"

"We need to talk to her about something. Girls only," Alice said, winking. This was a secret sign we used with each other. Usually we used it to signal that we would be talking about our 'group activities' in order to not alert suspicions of those around us. But was Alice really going to talk about our 'group stuff' or was she just using that as a cover to get rid of Edward?

Edward got the message, Bella oblivious to the meaning of the blink. "I'll catch you all later then. Rosalie, will you drive Bella back too?" he directed at me.

"Yes," I said hastily, trying to not let my worry appear in my voice. I had a bad feeling about this upcoming talk and my palms began to sweat. I almost wished Edward could drive me away from here, but attaching myself to his leg and begging him to save me wouldn't be a good look for my reputation or mental health state.

With another goodbye, Edward left the room, Bella turning to us with a questioning look in her eyes. "What do you need me for?"

"We need you to help us," Alice said as she hopped over to the door and locked it to make sure no one could get in while we had our talk. Then she turned around on her heel and fixed Bella with a sweet smile.

"We?" I echoed.

"Well, _you_ more specifically," Alice said and my stomach did a flip. My mouth went dry.

"Alice-"

"Bella, something momentous has happened to Rosalie and I would appreciate it if you could help her with it," Alice ignored me, hands on hips, head thrown back like she was about to make a grand speech.

"Alice, I swear you better not tell her!" I was blushing furiously. "I told you that in confidence!"

Alice fixed me with a calm look. "How are you expecting to get him if he's flirting with Bella all this time! If she helps you, then you can get him."

"I never said I wanted him!" I threw my hand out, rounding on Alice, afraid to see Bella's expression right now. I was getting desperate for her to shut up.

"Is this about Edward?" Bella asked.

"Rosalie likes him!" Alice managed to get out before I threw myself on her, shoving my hand over her mouth to shut her up. But it was already too late. She had said it, said those dreaded words and to my crush of all people.

"Alice, you little bitch!" I yelled at her as she struggled to free herself from my grasp, elbowing me in the ribs hard. I gasped out loud and went down hard while Alice skipped over to Bella, giggling lightly, and placed her hands on the stunned brunette's shoulders. Bella looked surprised in a bad way to hear I liked Edward. I couldn't fathom why.

"Rosalie never feels much emotion so the fact that she was able to get feelings for someone is a big deal. A very big deal! And thus, I want you to help her get Edward. If you stop flirting with him and turn him down, then Rosalie can make her moves."

I wanted to bury my face in my hands I was so mortified. I wanted to mentally and physically vacate this world. Why couldn't Alice stop trying to be such a good friend and let me suffer? This fake crush getting revealed to my real crush was much more painful than leaving it be. The urge to shout no, I do not like Edward at all, was strong, but I couldn't do it. The words sat on my tongue so I clamped my lips shut tightly, afraid that if I opened my mouth they would come out and then it would be really awkward trying to explain why I had lied previously. Then Alice would be forced to look deeper into my problem and then she could really find out why I was upset at Edward, and I did not need that. I could not have Bella find out the truth.

Bella looked undecided in the face of Alice's idea but then she smiled, albeit it was a shaky one. "Don't worry. I don't actually like Edward, so I'll be glad to help Rosalie with her crush."

The fact that Bella wasn't interested in Edward that way made my heart soar in my chest. It made the pain in the ribs Alice gave me disappear. It made my deathly mortification seem like nothing.

She didn't like him.

She didn't!

I would have done back flips around the room if I could. I didn't have to worry about my crush being snatched up by Dorkwad.

But my elation was marred when she sent me an oddly conflicted look. Like she was happy for me, but sad at the same time. Had I done something wrong? We held eyes like that for a while before Alice's excited squeal interrupted us.

"I'm so happy you could help us, Bella. This is going to be so much fun! Operation Get Edward Masen is now underway, and I'll be your captain for the mission." Alice did a mock salute and Bella reverted her eyes to the pixie.

"Ready to report for duty, captain," she saluted back but without as much enthusiasm as Alice.

I just knelt there silently, contemplating my past choices and the unfortunate repercussions of them. I wondered where they would take me next.


	6. Chapter 6

**Wilting Roses**

Chapter Six

The End

* * *

 _Sometimes, the end of the world is not started with a war, or a giant catastrophe. But by a sudden realization that something inside you has irrevocably changed and in this way your personal world is shattered and you are left standing in the ruins of it, wondering what went wrong, and why you cannot enough care to fix it._

* * *

Two months. Two long tortuous months of Alice's latest shenanigans, all aimed at me. She was hardcore insistent that she would help hook me and Edward up subtlety, but subtlety was not one of her skills. And it didn't help that she had roped Bella up into her schemes as well. Almost everyday at lunch was torture.

"Hey, Bella, do you want to go help me pick up my package from the office?"

"Rosalie can help you. She's stronger than Bella," Alice suggested to a slightly put off Edward and I.

"Uh, okay," he said at the same time as I.

...

"Hey, Bella, can you tell me more about that book you were reading?"

"Rosalie's also read the book. And she tells the plot way better," Bella insisted to a confused Edward and I.

"Uh, it's okay, never mind," he said.

...

"Hey, Bella, do you wanna try that new ice cream flavor with me after school?"

"I'm actually lactose intolerant," Bella waved off.

"But if you want girl company, me and _Rosalie,_ can provide it to you," Alice said slowly, winking at Edward on my name. I winced. God, this was so embarrassing.

"Uh, no that's fine. I wanted to go with Bella," a downcast Edward mumbled under his breath.

...

"Bella, I was thinking the movies this weekend..."

"Sorry, Eddy," Bella faked looking put out. "I've already seen it."

"But I didn't tell you what movie I wanted to watch," Edward furrowed his brows.

"It's okay. I've uh, seen all of them," Bella quickly stammered.

"But I already bought the tickets. I can't return them."

"Well, you know who hasn't seen a move recently. Rosalie. And she was just talking about how much she wanted to go see one," Alice chimed in helpfully.

"Uh, okay. I guess I'll go with Rosalie," a bewildered Edward watched as Alice hissed out a triumphant 'yes' and high fived right in front of him with Bella. Way to be subtle.

I sighed. I couldn't protest their efforts or else they'd really wonder if I liked him and I didn't want my cover to be blown.

Alice flashed me a look and I sighed again, trying hard not to roll my eyes.

"Really excited for that movie," I murmured to him behind my sandwich.

"Right." He looked down contemplatively at his food, probably wondering why his friends were acting so weird.

* * *

A trip to the movies with Edward went as expected. Awkwardly. Don't get me wrong. He was pretty chill the whole time. Getting me popcorn and buying drinks. He acted and treated me nicely. But I felt awkward because this was supposed to be a date. Alice had stormed into my house three hours before I was set to meet with him and got my wardrobe ready for him. She picked out a cute outfit, did my hair, and even instructed me on some pick up lines that would work for him.

I had merely nodded my head and smiled tightly at her, promising her she'd hear all the dets later. But there wouldn't be much of a story to tell because I didn't want to do this stupid date with Edward! God! I would give anything to get out of it. Alice of course had mistook my reluctance for nerves and had given me a drink to help. But all the drink made me do was want to drink more so I could forget about this stupid date with Edward for the next three hours in the dark theater.

I just hoped the movie would be good enough to get my mind off of how awkward I felt around him.

We met at the movie theater and sat down a reasonable distance from the screen. Commercials were playing and we sort of just sat there. I shoveled popcorn into my mouth to have an excuse to do something instead of fiddle with my fingers and fidget in my seat.

Edward was crunching on some chocolate, eyes thoughtfully on the screen before they turned to me. "Do you know why Bella keeps avoiding me?"

Avoiding him? As if. I wish she would. "She's not avoiding you. She talks to you, and she gives you her attention. That's not called being avoided."

"But she says no every time I ask her to hang out with me, or to spend a little more time with me. I don't understand why." Of course he would notice that. He wasn't blind. And now Alice had put me in an awkward spot.

"Maybe it's because she doesn't like you romantically, and doesn't want you to get the wrong idea. So she says no." I crunch loudly on my popcorn as he sits there and thinks my words over. I know for a fact she doesn't like him, but I can't tell him me and her were talking about him. That would sound rude. And a little bit convenient to have this info now.

"Well, shit. That's depressing. I thought...I thought maybe she liked me." There was real disappointment and pain in his voice. I would have comforted him if I wasn't so evilly hopeful he would entirely give up on Bella. "Why is it the one girl I actually like doesn't like me back?"

"Life sucks. Don't get hung up so much over Bella. She's only one girl. You have a ton of other girls who would love to date you, and you wouldn't even have to try hard to get them to want to spend time with you."

"I know. But I don't want them. I just want _her_." He played with his chocolate wrapper.

I wet my lips, feeling an intense curiosity over come me. Why was it that he found her so like-able? I myself didn't know why I liked her. Maybe he could offer some clues.

"Why her? What makes her special?"

Silence before he shrugged. "I don't know. I never saw her in that way before and then when I saw her in that white dress at that party, she just looked like the very embodiment of a muse. And just...I can't get that image out of my head any more. Usually I go for musically talented girls and I know Bella doesn't have any musical skills, but just seeing her as a muse, as the very embodiment of creativity and music, I fell for her. And I want to get to know her more. To spend more time with her." He heavily sighed as he told me.

I wasn't the least bit surprised by his answer. It was a very Edward-y one. All artsy and shit. But I was disappointed because it would make it harder for me to decipher my own feelings for her. She certainly looked hot in that dress- I should know as I picked it out- but I had liked her before as soon as I had set my eyes on her. Love at first sight? The phrase floated into my head. But that couldn't be. Those things didn't exist. Only in books and rom com movies. My life was neither. And besides, was there really any point in thinking about this? The deadline for the end of my crush was coming up and I couldn't be more excited. In just two more days, _two_ more, I would finally be free of these complicated and ridiculous and unwanted feelings for her.

Thankfully I was spared from having to say anything to Edward's dilemma, not that I had a clue as to what to say, because the movie started.

The movie was passable and when it ended I thanked Edward for the tickets and we went our separate ways. He looked gloomy like he had a cloud over his head. No doubt he was sad that Bella didn't like him the same way he did her. But I knew boys could be very persistent in trying to get the girl and she still wasn't safe.

Alice immediately texted as soon as I got home. Then when I took too slow to figure out what to say to her, she called. Ugh, I was not in the mood to talk to her and have to listen to her prattle on about my 'date' with Edward. Gross. No offense to him, but I could never date someone so mopey as him.

"How did it go?" Alice squeals into my ear as soon as I pick up.

"Normally."

"Oh come on Rosie! Now's not the time to clam up. Spill! Me and Bella helped you do this, so we deserve some answers! Right Bella?"

"Uh, yes."

Oh great. So Bella was also on the other end.

"What's Bella doing at your house?" I diverted instead.

"She's helping me test out some new makeup."

"Oh, so you've found a new victim for your latest fashion trends." I knew what that process looked like. Alice had tried it on me but I quickly shut that shit down. And now Alice had found a new victim. Poor Bella was probably strapped to the chair as Alice basically used her as a barbie doll to try new hairstyles and makeup and clothes on.

"Bella, do you need help?" I asked.

"I'm okay for now. I think," she said quietly. There was some muffled whispering from Alice and then Bella said with forced enthusiasm: "Actually, I'm having a lot of fun!"

"Bella, you don't have to lie just because Alice blackmailed you into saying so."

"I did not Blackmail Bella!" Alice huffs scandalized.

"Actually, you did," Bella retorts.

"I guess that cake I offered to buy you is off the table," Alice says and Bella gasps. "I held up my end of the bargain by saying I was having fun. There were no other conditions!"

"So bribery now, is it Alice? My, how the mighty have fallen. Can't even scare Bella into lying, so you've got to fatten her up."

"You know what- the two of you- just, whatever," she grunts and puffs. "Rosalie, stop distracting me. I want to hear what happened on the date."

I grumbled unhappily into the phone. I had been hoping to lure Alice on one of her long winded tangents but I hadn't succeeded. "Nothing much. We talked about normal stuff." I didn't mention him moaning and moping about Bella's disinterest.

"That's it? No kiss or anything?"

"No."

"Not even hand holding?"

"No," said in the same dead monotone as my last no.

"Rosalie," Alice sighed in exasperation at my name. "Did you even try? What about those tips I gave you?"

"Look," I rubbed the bridge of my nose. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"Okay, we don't have to talk about it now." Alice recognized my no nonsense tone. She knew better than to try to sway me. "We can talk later."

"No. Not even later."

"Okay," Alice says in a small voice when she realizes how bad a mood I am in, and I hang up.

 **I'm sorry for the bad date,** Bella sends me that text and it makes the corners of my lips lift up. What a sweet girl. I go to shower and change out of these clothes. I smell like popcorn, oil, and Edward's cheap despair.

* * *

Two days after my failed date, I wake up in a chipper mood, rising before my alarm clock even rings. Today is a special day! Today is the day my crush shall end!

And I can go back to my normal life of no concerns, of being the ice queen. Of not having to worry about every little touch Bella gave me and the way my heart would jump. Not worry at her smiles that made me feel breathless. Not worry about saying something dumb because of her presence. And not having to hate Edward for liking Bella. He could have her.

I hum to myself as I get dressed and wash up in the bathroom. When I come skipping downstairs Jasper does a double take, in disbelief of how early I am up, and in what a good mood.

"Good morning, Jasper," I smile at him as I sit down in front of him with my bowl of cereal.

He doesn't say anything at first, just lets the piece of toast hang out of his mouth. "Are you feeling alright? Are you sick?" he places a hand on my forehead and I allow him to, in too good of a mood to slap it away.

"Yes. I'm feeling super, actually. Today is going to to be a great day!"

He stills looks bewildered by my state but then shrugs and continues eating. "Do I wanna know what has you so happy?"

"It's nothing serious. Just woke up on the right side of the bed."

"For once," he mutters under his breath, before a small smile curls up his lips. And for the first time in a while we share breakfast and a long conversation together.

Except everything sours when I get to school, for all good things do come to an end. I swear, some higher power must have it out for me, because they won't let me have any peace or respite. Won't let me live my life normally.

Bella greets us once me and Jasper pull our car into the parking lot and exit. She's just come out of her truck and my thoughts go to how cute she is, and on how soft her hair looks today in it's braid. Immediately my stomach seizes up at those thoughts and I go pale in the face.

No.

No, no, no, no, _**no**_!

The crush was supposed to be over! It has already been three months! Yet here I stand, still thinking of Bella as cute, still wanting to be close to her, to want to touch her. To have her be mine.

I felt like my stomach had dropped out. Like my bones were too weak. I couldn't walk. I had to lean against my car for support.

"Rosalie, are you okay?" Bella asked in concern as she saw me slowly sliding to the ground onto the snow. But I couldn't answer her. I wanted her damned poisonous voice out of my mind! The crush was supposed to be over. It was supposed to be done. I had waited so long...so long and it was still here! I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I could feel the screams of frustration building up in the back of my throat. I raked my hands through my hair, pulling angrily on the roots.

"Rosalie, are you feeling sick?" Jasper was confused about my sudden switch in demeanor. He bent down next to me, offering his hand to pull me up. I slapped it away and stumbled to my feet, pushing past Bella so I could run, run away from this bad nightmare.

I ran into the school, not knowing what to do, or how I should react, how I should take this. I very well felt like the last semblance, like the last hope for having my stability returned to me had been ruined. Had been crushed. My heart squeezed in my chest painfully. Maybe I had miscalculated the dates?

I entered the girls bathroom. Two girls were in front of the mirror, fixing their makeup, but I couldn't have them here. "Get out!" I snarled at them and when they turned to see who it was, they quickly gathered their stuff and silently walked out.

Then I turned the tap on and stared into the rushing water, trying to get my bearings. Trying to control the world from swaying. The bell rang for the school day to start but I still didn't budge. Maybe the first day of a crush didn't count. Maybe tomorrow would be the day it would be over. Yes, it had to be. I couldn't just lose hope.

The door swung open and I let a low growl leave my throat. "This bathroom is mine right now. Leave!"

"Relax, it's just me right now," Alice said as she let herself in. I didn't look up from the water but I felt her wrap her arms around my waist and place her cheek against my back. "What happened?"

I felt a lump grow in my throat. There was no way I could tell her the truth. But I needed reassurance. I needed hope given to me. "Alice..." I licked my lips, uncertain. "How long does a crush last?"

This wasn't what she was expecting to hear because it took her a while to find her tongue. "What-is this about Edward?"

"Just answer my question."

The rushing sink water filled our momentary lapses in silence. Alice's arms tightened in their hold on me. "There's no telling. It varies from person to person."

"So not three months?" My voice caught in my throat and I bit my lip as my eyes watered. I was shaking. I knew I was. But I couldn't stop it. Alice's arms held me together.

"Rosalie, sweetie," Alice said in that gentle caring voice of hers. Her tone helped to soften the blow of her devastating words but not enough. "That's just a myth. An online myth."

I felt...so dumb. I felt foolish. Felt...just felt like everything had gone to hell. I wasn't even trying to be melodramatic, I literally felt like this was the worst thing ever. Finding out that my unwanted crush was here to stay and that there was no telling for how long.

My silent tears mixed in with the sink water as I lowered my head so my hair could hide my crying face. I didn't want Alice to see me breakdown, didn't want her to see me weak.

"Shhhh, it's going to be okay. Maybe Edward will get over his crush on Bella sooner than that." Sweet Alice misunderstood the real reason for my tears but I wasn't going to correct her. I just let her hold me until the tears and shaking stopped.

 **A/N: I'm gonna try and aim for at least monthly releases for this story, butttttt, we'll see how that goes.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Wilting Roses**

Chapter Seven

Restart

* * *

 _I wanted to be something other than helpless in the face of the giant black hole of emotion that had sucked me into it's gravity's pull. But I escaped the vortex only to be sucked into something far more sinister; that left me far more incapable of freeing myself from my wretched fate._

* * *

The first day I stayed home from school I was consumed by thoughts of worry, fear, and panic. I spent all day curled up under my sheets, a box of tissues next to me, and the constant sound track of Jasper's knocks on my locked door, concerned questions coming from the other side; and the incessant ringing and buzzing of my phone as people tried to call and text me.

I was too numb, too wrapped up in my own world to give a care as to how concerned they must be over my sudden actions. I was wallowing in my own misery, in the fate that life had dealt me.

The second day was a bit better. I was able to get out of bed, and clean up the mess of crumpled up tissues on the floor from my near constant spontaneous crying sessions. Today I felt all cried out, a sort of weary relief hanging on my shoulders. I stretched, opened the curtains, let some light into my room. But I spent the rest of my time in bed, still thinking about my life.

The third day, I carried less of a sense of world ending devastation with me. Hours and hours of contemplation and consideration and bemoaning had lead me to a conclusion. My crush was here to stay. I couldn't do anything about it, that much was obvious. And neither could I continue to stand by to weather it out. Doing nothing about it, had lead to nothing changing. And no matter how much I tried to mentally force myself to hate Bella, I couldn't. She didn't deserve my hatred.

I got up, paced the room, opened up some snacks and ate for the first time in 72 hours. Then I slept peacefully for the first time since.

On the fourth day I decided I had to go back to school. A whole line of my friends had come up to my door, knocking on it, begging me to come out, to at least make a noise to show that I was okay in the very least.

My brother tried to tempt me with food. "Come on, Rosalie. You need to eat. I got you your favorite food."

Alice worried for my health and looks. "Come on, it's not good for you to stay cooped up there like that. All that moping around will give you indigestion and wrinkles!"

Edward worried for my mental health. "Rosalie, if you're having a mental breakdown, please, please, let us help you."

Emmett tried to crack some jokes. "Hey, why was the mushroom always invited to the party? Because he was a fungi!"

Even Bella showed up. "Rosalie, we're all worried about you. Just let us know what we can do to help you. Please, we're your friends."

My throat had gotten tight at her words. She was the reason I was feeling this way, but I couldn't tell anyone. I couldn't.

On the fourth day, not only did I leave my room, finally pulling myself together, I had also come to a decision. I wasn't going to let this crush ruin my life anymore. I was Rosalie fucking Hale, ice queen, and I had gone through worse things than this. I was going to be strong, I wasn't going to let these feelings get the best of me.

Not only that, but I had decided I was finally going to confess my crush to Bella. I was going to tell her how I really felt. If I did, then maybe she would get freaked out and leave me alone. And I could live with that, because I had tried to do something about my feelings- had tried to not let them faze me. And if she wasn't around me as often, then perhaps my crush would finally dissipate.

But if she did like me...and answered to my confession...well, then I guess that path was okay too. But I wasn't going to be overly optimistic. There was a five percent chance of that being the case. And even if she did like me back, how would I date her? I wasn't gay, this was just a one off thing that had happened. And if I dated her then rumors would go around the school and I didn't want that sort of reputation around me.

So, I was hoping she would reject my confession. The only thing was, when should I tell her?

When I went downstairs in the morning, I found Jasper there, eating his breakfast halfheartedly. He lifted his eyes upon hearing my footsteps and dropped his fork so he could jump up and wrap his arms around me. "Rosalie. So good to see you. How are you? What happened?" He pulled away to look at me with concerned eyes.

I gave him a small apologetic smile. "I'm sorry to have worried you so. I was just...I'll tell you later. I don't feel like talking about it right now. But know that I am feeling better."

"We were all worried."

"I know. And I have to apologize to everyone for worrying them. I promise, I'm better now."

Jasper didn't press for answers thankfully, and when we went to school, all of my friends were glad to see me again. Emmett pulled me into a big bear hug, Alice jumped up into my arms and Bella offered me a smile. Edward stood off to the side, watching me with brooding eyes. Once everyone had dispersed, going off to class at the sound of the bell, Edward got up off of the lockers he was leaning on and took my elbow gently. "Rosalie. I'm really sorry for what I did. If I had known ahead of time, I would have never mentioned Bella to you."

 _What?_ My heart came to a stuttering stop. Did he know? Did he somehow know of my infatuation on her?

"It was insensitive of me. And rude. And I hope you will forgive me for it. I know my having a crush on Bella has hurt you, especially given the feelings you carry for me."

"Huh?" was all that left my mouth right now, as my dumbfounded brain tried to catch up with what he was saying.

"I appreciate your feeling for me, but sadly I cannot accept them, nor can I reject the ones I have for Bella."

"You're turning me down?" I mouthed, eyes wide.

"Yes. I am. I saw that giving you false hope made you very upset, given by your three day shut in behavior. And I know this will hurt too, but it's easier this way and better for you." His eyes were pensive, and he squeezed my hand gently. "I hope we can remain friends."

I couldn't hold back a laugh at his serious face. "What the hell, Eddy. You thought I had a crush on you?"

Now it was his turn to be bewildered. "Yes. Do you not?" he ventured slowly.

"God, no. No I don't." Another laugh.

"But Alice-"

And suddenly I was seething on those words. "Alice said what?" I grit out between my teeth. He sensed my sudden mood switch and let go of me, running a hand through his hair.

"She told me...that you liked me. And that it was probably why you were locked up. She told me to give you a chance, to go on a date. Maybe that I would like you back. But I couldn't do that. It felt wrong to go on dates with you if I didn't feel the same way."

Ah, Eddy. Always the gentleman.

And, Alice, that little meddler. We were going to have a nice good long talk.

"I assure you, Edward. I. Don't. Have. Feelings. For. You." I punctuated each statement with a hand clap. "Okay?"

"Uh, okay?" he swallowed, looking scared now. He knew how I could get when I was mad. "But why would Alice say that?"

"Alice, misinterpreted something I had said. And now, if you excuse me, I have to hunt her down." With that I swiveled on my heels and left.

I texted Alice with shaking fingers to meet me by the second floor bathroom, screaming at some girls to clear it out so it would be empty. Alice arrived ten minutes later to find me tapping my foot and arms crossed against my chest. "You're late."

"Look, let me explain-"

"Yes, I would love to hear an explanation on why you thought it prudent to reveal my crush to Edward!" My screams bounced off of the tiled walls and I had to remind myself to quiet down or else other people from outside would hear me. And the last thing I wanted was someone else knowing.

Alice was a tad wary in the face of my anger. "I was concerned for you. For your health. You have to understand that from my perspective I saw you in pain and I wanted to help." Her voice was soft, begging me to understand.

"And you thought that by telling Edward it would help?" I snapped out.

"You locked yourself up in your room!" Alice threw her hands out. "That was very concerning behavior. What the hell else was I supposed to do. All I knew was that you were upset about something Edward had done, and so I figured if I came clean to him, then you'd be happier."

"Well, it didn't amount to anything, because he turned me down, anyways."

"He did?" Now Alice looked pissed too. "Why that high moral prick!"

"Don't you dare talk to him about this issue anymore, you hear?" I scolded her. "I'm done with it."

"But-"

"No. You've already done enough damage. Let me handle the rest."

Alice's shoulders sagged but she nodded her head. "Okay. And I'm sorry. I was only trying to help."

"Try less next time," I said as I pushed my way out of the bathroom, leaving Alice behind.

* * *

That had been a week ago. I was still mad at Alice, barely talking to her during our combined periods and most certainly ignoring her texts and calls. And Edward was still awkward around me, squirming uncomfortably when he had to interact with me. I didn't really care for his reactions. I was too busy not talking to Alice. This weirdness between the three of us was affecting the whole table, making my lunches taste sour, and making Emmett gloomy.

"Come on, what's up with all of you guys. Why are you acting so weird."

I didn't answer that, merely flipped my hair over my shoulder. Edward gave a faked chuckle. "What are you talking about man? We're all good."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "I'm not blind dude. I can see something happened." When Edward didn't drop a hint as to what could have happened, Emmett squared up his big shoulders. "I thought we were a team."

"Let's do something this weekend then. A bonfire. It'll help resolve our issues, if none of you want to talk about it." Jasper eyed me as he said this and I pretended to be oblivious to the fact that I still hadn't told him what had bothered me to the point of shutting me in.

"Oh yea, a bonfire!" Alice and Emmett both cheered. Bella didn't know what that was.

"A bonfire?"

"Yes, it's a tradition among us," I answered her question. "But you can come if you want."

If she came, it would give me a great opportunity to confess my attraction to her. All week long I had been thinking about how to tell her. I was of course dreading it, but I knew if I told her it'd be a big weight off of my shoulders. And if she avoided me after it, all the better. It was only if she said yes that it was worrying me. But then again, there was no way that would happen.

"Sure, I'd love to see it," Bella said.

We typically held our bonfires in a special spot in the woods, secluded from anyone. Each of us was responsible for bringing something. Eddy brought the music, Emmett brought the fire wood and lighter. Jasper brought the beer cooler, Alice brought the marshmallows and hot chocolate and I brought the board games. This time, since Bella was joining, she brought extra blankets in case anyone got cold.

Jasper decided a bonfire this Saturday would be a splendid idea. It wouldn't be too cold and we didn't have a lot of homework that weekend.

We carpooled to the forest in Emmett's off road Jeep, parking it by the entrance of the woods. Since it was late at night, it was pretty dark and we all turned on our flashlights.

"Wow, this place is kind of scary," Bella breathed out, her breath clouding around her like white smoke. "How do you not get lost in such a big place." She craned her neck up at the tall trees.

"Easy. We've been here so many times." I tailed after Alice, me and Bella making up the end of the single file line we were in.

"And there's so many rocks and-shit!" Bella squeaked out as she tripped over some rocks and nearly face planted. I grabbed onto her shoulder as her arms latched onto my jacket and helped her regain her balance.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yea. But uh, let me hold your hand. I don't wanna fall again." And before I could say no, her hand slipped into mine, holding on tight.

 _She's holding my hand!_ I squealed internally, relishing the feel of her skin on mine. I hoped this moment would last forever, and I was so wrapped up in it that I barely spoke as Bella continued to talk. But soon we reached the spot and she pulled her hand away from mine when Emmett called her over. "Hey, Bells, you wanna see how I light this baby up?"

"Sure." She scurried over to join him and the empty pit where the fire would be.

I hated that she had to leave. My hand felt colder without hers there. But I busied myself with setting up the campsite. I brushed snow off of the logs we sat on while Alice readied the snacks so we could cook them. Edward and Jasper were off gathering fire wood to add on later to the pile.

Eventually the fire got roaring and with tending from Emmett and Bella, it rose into a giant flame.

"Bella, why don't you sit here?" Edward called over from the other side. He patted the spot he had saved her. I felt a tinge of anger at that, but I pushed it aside. She was free to sit wherever she wanted.

"No, it's okay. I'll sit by Rosalie." I felt my chest swell with happiness and I would have childishly stuck out my tongue at him in victory but held myself back. She had chosen me and not him!

We sat down on the logs, Bella joining me on my log, where I sat next to Jasper. We began to roast marshmallows and cracked open a couple of cold beers. Jasper and Emmett instigated some conversation, forcing me and Alice and Edward to talk to one another. It was awkward going at first, but with a couple of beers, we were more open with each other. The tension between us wasn't completely erased but it wasn't as bad as it was before. We eventually played some board games, laughing and shrieking in excitement as we won or lost, or cheated our way across the board.

By the end of the three hours here, we had devolved into doing our own things. Emmett was trying to bring life back to the dying fire having headed to the car to fetch some fuel. Jasper was off in the woods with Alice somewhere. Edward was taking a piss far off, and I was sitting on a log, drinking my last beer. Bella had drifted off to sleep and her head was snuggled up on my lap, blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she slumbered. I watched her, tracing her contours with my eyes. The dying flames glowed warmly on her face, making her lips pop with color, making her dark lashes gleam. I wanted to kiss her, to taste the fires dancing on her lips, to brush the embers from her eyes.

I had meant to confess to her today, but so much had happened. Me and Alice had made up. Edward and I had come to terms about how I didn't really like him like that and how he didn't like me like that either. We were content to be just friends.

So I practiced my confession now, my drunken words loud in the cold air. "Bella. I know this may be weird and you may freak out after hearing this. But I care for you. More than just a friend. And I wish to be able to cherish you. To show you how much I adore you." She didn't stir, too far gone in sleep brought on by alcohol.

Then I leaned down and softly brushed my lips on her brow. My lips tingled from the touch and she let out a soft contented sigh before snuggling in closer. I continued to peer down at her, my fingers slowly patting her brown hair, before I looked up and gave a choked start. Edward had come back and he was sitting on the log across from me, peering at me with darkened eyes.

"When did you-?"

"Enough to hear and see everything." His words were biting. Chilling more so than the air. I gulped deeply, feeling the first vestiges of panic settling in.

"You-"

"How long have you liked her?"

I looked away from him, rolling the beer bottle in my palm.

"I asked, how long have you liked her?"

"Does it matter?" I weakly whispered back.

"Did you try to break us up? To get in between me and Bella? Is that what all those weird interruptions by you and Alice were? All a fucking trick so you could fucking land her?" His voice rises in volume. Bella grimaces at the sound but doesn't wake.

"Alice doesn't know. No one does. I wasn't going to do anything about it." My grip tightens on the bottle.

"Damn right you won't. And don't you dare get in the way of me and Bella ever again." With that he angrily gets up and walks away. I peer at the dying fire with watery eyes. It looks like the confession wouldn't be happening. Because it wasn't mine to make anymore.

I slowly slid out from under Bella. I had to take a walk. I had to be alone right now.

This time I had a sinking feeling that I was about to lose any chance I had with Bella to Edward for once and for all.

 **A/N: Don't worry, it gets better from here** **on** **. Bella's not about to let Edward dictate her feelings for her.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Wilting Roses**

 _Chapter Eight_

* * *

 _Love and hate. Death and life. Two words that represented the complete opposite of their respective fields, yet they couldn't be closer. And day by day they were melding closer and closer to one another until I couldn't make heads or tails of which I was currently feeling. All I knew was that I was staking everything on this one answer. My past, present, and future were all at the mercy of this one person, who in my eyes were the god of my world._

* * *

I avoided him.

Her.

 _Them_.

I didn't have the stomach to face my friends, or Bella, or Dickward after all that happened. Naturally they were concerned for me. Alice would text me, and call me and come over to the house, but I stayed locked up in my room, even Jasper kept out.

"Please, Rosalie, you can't keep doing this," Jasper begged across the wooden barrier. "It's concerning, and if you don't stop I'm going to have to tell mom and dad."

I blanched at that. I didn't want my parents to come home. They would be less than pleased that their business trip had been cut short because I was acting 'off'. Once more I realized I was letting my emotions get to me, so I held my head high and decided I wasn't going to let them get me down. But that was harder said than done when faced with Dickward. I couldn't do it. I chickened out. I didn't sit with my friends at lunch, instead hiding myself away in the library, the one place they would never think to look for me in.

All except Bella, who was no stranger to libraries unlike me and my friend group. She had been perusing the books during one of our shared lunch periods and sighing heavily when she couldn't find the volume she wanted. I noticed her first, and holding my breath, I tried to slowly slink out of the chair I was seated at, but a creak of the wooden floorboards gave me away and Bella span on her heel as I froze mid step, bag halfway on my back.

"Rosalie!" her face was a mix of happiness and surprise. "So this is where you've been hiding."

"I'm not hiding," I growled out, the retort a defensive mechanism that was reflex.

"Yes, you have. And we've all been worried for you. Why are you doing this? What's going on?" she neared me and I took steps back, feeling caged in and like I wasn't in control of this situation.

"Nothing. Nothing is going on," I grunted out as my back hit the shelves of books and still Bella wouldn't stop pressing in. Why was she getting so close?

"That's not true." Her big eyes searched my face and I couldn't help but stare at her lips. They were so close to me. Closer than ever before. I could just reach out and kiss her, cup her chin, tangle my hands through her hair.

I swallowed the dry lump in my throat. This, this was why I was avoiding them all. Because it hurt too much to want Bella like this, only for Edward to stand in my way.

"Rosalie, please, just tell us how we can help you. You're not alone in this." She grabbed a hold of my hands and they shook in her grip; I cursed myself for that weakness but I couldn't stop them.

"I just need time by myself. I need to be alone. With my thoughts."

"No, that's not healthy. I..." at this Bella bit her lips. "I need you back with us." She flushed slightly at her own brazen words. "I need you to not give up. To not stop fighting. If you don't stop, I won't."

What was Bella talking about? Was she talking about my feelings for her? Did she know? How? Had Edward told her? If so, I was going to murder him! I was going to make him rue the day he ever opened that mouth of his!

"Fighting?" I echoed, urging her to go on, so I could get more of a context.

"I know it's hard when you have a crush."

My heart seized up at words. Tightened with pent up emotion and foolish hope- I don't know why I was hopeful- and dread.

"And its even harder when the crush doesn't like you back. But you can't let that get you in the dumps. You can get over Edward. Trust me. You're stronger than that."

"O-oh," comes shakily from my mouth and my heart shatters. Of course. It's still all fucking about him.

My hands are still shaking but this time from anger. I hate him. I hate him for consuming my life like this. I am disappointed that Bella can't see behind the lies I told to protect myself from her, and I drop my hands from her hold. "Leave me alone," I snarl out more viciously than I intend and I shoulder check her on the way out. I won't let her see me cry from frustration.

I can't deal with this. I can't deal with the tangle of emotions my life has become, and I ache for the simpler days when I had ice around my heart and in it.

* * *

Avoiding my friends becomes easier. They've decided to ease up on chasing me down between classes and on calling me so much. They think that space will do me good, and it is. I feel oddly at peace without people nagging at me, and without having to see Edward's dumb face. It helps the pain in my heart. I don't have to see him flirt with her, don't have to see him sling an arm around her. No doubt right now he's laying on the charm thick because he refuses to lose her to me.

But she was never mine; I was never a threat. I wasn't going to make her mine even if I wanted to badly with every fiber of my being, because I knew there was no way she could be mine. Not when she was straight, and not when I had a reputation to uphold. Edward has no need to be this cruel to me. Has no need to rub it into my face that he can openly lay a claim on her.

But he'll do it anyways because he is possessive and controlling and hates losing to other people, hates being second place.

 _Maybe I should forgive him for this behavior?_ A small part of me whispers. It would be the grown thing to do. The best thing to do. I can't avoid him forever. Because I'm avoiding my other friends and they don't deserve that.

But a bigger part of me snarls _fuck him_ , and I listen to that part. It gives me some confidence. Let's me carry myself like I'm not a broken mess on the inside; it mends some of the worst of the shards. Hating him helps deal with the ache of my love for Bella. But the two emotions are so tightly wound and their ability to work is based on each other that it's hard to tell sometimes where one ends and the other begins. Do I hate Dickward for the fact that he's a man, or do I love him because he can treat her like I can't? Do I love Bella for all her charms, or do I hate her for them, because of what they've driven me too?

I'm in the bathroom between second and third period when I get a text; the one that breaks me all over again. It's from Bella. And it stops my heart cold, makes my back hit the wall. I slowly slide down it, eyes wide, breath haggard.

All I can think is _oh fuck_ , over and over again.

 **Edward asked me out. He's been so insistent, so I had to say yes. I'm sorry.**

There's another message from her, but I can't read it, my eyes unseeing as saltwater fills them. My phone slips from my grip and I sit there, head in my hands, trying desperately not to feel anything even though my whole world has tilted off it's axis and I am barely clinging to it; to my last shreds of sanity. I'm a planet knocked out of orbit.

It's by luck (bad or good, I can't tell at this point) that Alice finds me like that before anyone else. I am barely aware she's even there- how much time has passed? My body is cramped and cold from the tiled floors.

"Rosalie," she gasps as her hands circle around my biceps and pry my arms away so she can look into my countenance. I briefly look up at her, her face still blurry. "What happened?" I simply shake my head, too afraid to speak for fear I will burst into tears. Then I look back down, staring at the blue screen of my phone unseeingly.

She notices that, and picks it up. Her brows furrow. "Oh, that asshole. I'll never forgive him," she breaths, "how could he do this to you, after this is your first crush. I'm going to talk to him and get his head on right."

"Don't." I grab her arm. "Just don't."

She pauses, bites her lip. "I'm so sorry Rosalie," she says softly. "This wasn't the way I wanted your first crush to go."

"No, I'm sorry. So sorry." I don't know why I'm apologizing. Maybe because I avoided her for so long?

"You have nothing to apologize for." She leans in and hugs me, her hold warm on me. Somehow that breaks me. Despite how much of a bitch I've been to her the past couple of days, Alice was still ready to fly to my defense, to chew Edward out, to hug me and comfort me. My words come spilling out of me. I can't hold back the truth anymore.

"No. I do. Because I've been keeping secrets from you, I've been lying this whole time."

"About what?" Alice's voice walks the perfect line of cautious and understanding, and not accusatory.

"About this whole Edward thing." I take a deep breath, swallow my tears down, her fingers rubbing my shoulders as I keep my head bowed. My voice is muffled by sadness and cloth and bad angles but she can still hear me. She waits for me to continue, exhuming a rare patience.

"I don't actually have a crush on him. I lied, because I didn't want you knowing who I really had a crush on. It's Bella. I like Bella."

Alice's fingers still on my shoulders and I can feel the quick inhale of her chest.

"I don't even know why I like her. I've never liked a girl before, but ever since I've meet her I've been inexplicably crushing on her, and I don't want to but I do at the same time. So when Edward is flirting with her, it hurts to be around, that's why I left. He knows I like her and he's doing it on purpose: asking her out and getting too close to her. And I don't know how to deal with this. I never asked for this."

Alice hasn't said anything. For once she is quiet and I wish she wouldn't be. I need the comfort of her words more than anything.

"Tell me what to do," I beg in a wavering voice. "Because I don't know anymore."

She pulls away from me and fear strikes my heart so sharply I'm afraid it will cleave it straight in half. Is she grossed out by me? Will she stop being my friend? Is she going to tell everyone?

I'm shaking again and I feel nauseous and light headed. I look up, ready to see disgust and revulsion on her face but instead she's wearing a sort of happy sadness. She holds up my phone, pointing to Bella's second message on the screen.

 **Please, I don't want to be with Edward.**

 **Come save me.**

It's hope.

Alice is giving me hope.

"Go save your girl, Rosalie."

With Alice's words at my heels, and Bella's to guide and fuel my footsteps, I go to meet Edward, ready to slay the Evil Queen who has taken away my Snow White from me.

 **A/N: A bit of a shorter chapter, but I wanted to leave it off on this hopeful note; it seemed like an appropriate place to end it.**

 **And Edward's the evil queen, cuz he's so dramatic sometimes, or at least that's how he came off in the books to me.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Wilting Roses**

Chapter Nine: I'm a Ruin

 _Whoever said love was war clearly hadn't felt the first vestiges of fluttering butterflies in their stomach, or worn those rose tinted glasses. Because nowhere in war did your stomach do back flips out of happiness, nor did you see the senseless slaughter in a positive light. Love was more closely described as art; it was only as good or as suited to your tastes as you let it be.  
_

Bella texted me all the details of the date when I asked her to, so suffice to say, Edward is gobsmacked when I appear around the corner of the restaurant instead of Bella. She's somewhere on her way, but I've come earlier so I can get some one on one time with Eddy boy. She has no idea about what I'm going to do, so I'm hoping to get it done before she does find out. All I know is she told me to save her from this date, and whether it was a valid plea or not, I'm going to take it seriously.

"Rosalie, what are you doing here?" He's dressed all dapper and he holds a rose and chocolates under his arm- all for Bella. A tiny part of me says it's not too late, I can still back out and let him treat Bella right. I know he can be a gentleman. She deserves someone society won't look down upon her dating. But the rest of me is raring to go. I've been hurt too much by him, and it doesn't matter whether that hurt was unintentional or not, I'm going to rip him a new one.

The fact remains, he was a giant dick, and the old me would never let someone treat me like this and let them get away unscathed. He was about to be on the receiving end of my tongue, and maybe even my fists if he pushed me far enough.

"I'm here to ruin your date," I say casually and his face darkens, but I'm not done yet. "Because Bella asked me to."

At this his jaw drops open. He clearly wasn't expecting to hear that. I let a smug grin stretch my lips. God, that had felt so good to say. I tossed my head back, jutted my chin out. I was beginning to feel more like my own confident self.

He's struggling with something, clamps his lips shut, opens them again. "I don't believe you."

I knew that would happen. "Then believe this." I shove the phone with Bella's text at him and his face pales as he reads that. He flicks his eyes up to me when he's done and I can see hurt and anger shinning in them.

"So, she stood me up?"

"No, she's still on her way here. I just decided to pop in before she did, to let you know that she doesn't want this. So maybe you should man up and stop treating her like she can be won." He looks like he wants to speak but I cut him off. "I'm not going to fight you over her. That's not how it works. I don't want her to be torn between two choices, between two people she might want nothing to do with. I'm not going to force my feelings onto her and I wish you'd do the same, Eddy."

My words have come out softer than I expected them too. It seemed my ice sharp tongue that picked and prodded people apart like a surgeon's tools, still wasn't back, but maybe this was fine too. Because Dickward seemed to have an epiphany.

"I _have_ been an asshole. I was so focused on my own feelings that I never considered hers. Or yours." His words give me hope that maybe he will stop this stupid behavior and just let Bella breathe for once. I don't even care about my own feelings getting trampled in this mess. I just want her to be stress free. "But that doesn't mean my feelings will go away and I will probably do stupid stuff because of them."

"That's fine. I've done stupid stuff because of my crush on Bella too."

Edward nods his head. Considers. "So, a truce?" He sticks out his hand. "Both of us lay off of Bella and let her decide what she wants?"

I want to point out that I wasn't the one suffocating her with my unwanted gestures but I still shake his hand. "Deal." Under my breath I sighed, "I was really getting tired of calling you Dickward in my head and correcting myself when talking to you."

He arched a brow, deaf. "What?"

"Nothing." I shook my head.

He gave me an odd look before clearing his throat. "Okay...Good. Now, I'm going to call this date off with her. And the two of us," he gestured to myself and him, "need to talk more about this."

"Fine with me." I always hated talking about my emotions or inner thoughts with others- it was what made me a successful ice queen in the first place- but for Bella's sake, I would endure such annoyances.

Edward strode off and I watched him texting Bella that the date was off. For some reason my heart felt lighter. I realized that it was the first time I had faced Edward in a while. I had done so thoughtlessly because I was in such a rush to help Bella, thus forgoing all my usual reluctance.

"Is he gone?" a soft voice asks behind me and I peer over to see it's Bella, tentatively walking towards me with her hands clasped in front of her.

She looks stunning, hair neat and shiny around her shoulders, a light smathering of makeup on her face giving her natural beauty a boost. And she's wearing a cute flower print dress, in sweet pink and white. "Uh, yea," I grunt out, eyes raking over her, throat dry. I want nothing more than to continue staring at her, drinking her in.

Her face breaks out into a smile and I wish I had a pair of sunglasses to combat how bright it is. "Thank you, Rosalie," she breathes and takes my hands in hers. They're warm and soft and I long to keep them forever in my hold.

"It was no problem, really," I manage to choke out. She's got a look on her face that I've never seen before. It's almost dreamy and her eyes are big and wide and entirely too focused on me.

"No, it was a big deal. After all you like him and to s-" Bella lowers her gaze and her words lose some warmth.

"I don't like him," I blurt out in haste. I'm so tired of living that lie. It was meant to help me, but it has only ruined my life and tampered with the bonds of friendship between me and my friend group.

Bella raises her eyes up in question.

"It was all a misunderstanding," I continue, not knowing exactly where I'm going with this, but needing to get it off my chest. "Alice mistook something I said and as we all know Alice, once she gets an idea in her head, it's hard to talk her out of it. So she kept trying to hook me up with him even though I didn't want to."

"Why didn't you say anything? All this time, all this trouble that we caused could have been avoided-Even I contributed to the issue and that was why you must have locked yourself up in the room, because it was all so troublesome to you-"

Bella was beating herself up for something she was not at all at fault for and I squeezed her hands in mine. "Stop that," I commanded in a rough voice. "It's all fine now. I've talked to Alice about it, and she's finally given it a rest. I don't want either of you feeling bad about your involvement with this. I should have spoken up sooner about how much trouble this was giving me but I didn't. So the blame lies on me."

"But still-"

"Bella, no," I reprimanded her, eyes stern.

She sighed, cast me a look I couldn't read and dropped her hands from mine. "Okay. I just want to say I'm sorry."

I nodded my head not knowing what else to say now. Maybe I should bid her a good day and leave? My task here of saving her from the Evil Queen was done, so there was no more of an excuse to hang out with her. "Alright, I'll see you at school." I stiffly turned away but her hand caught my wrist and turned me back around.

"Where are you going?"

"Home," I arched a brow, puzzeled. "Aren't you?"

Bella shook her head. "I'm all dressed up for a date, but I have nowhere to go. It would be a shame to waste this outfit," Bella sighed dramatically.

Was...Bella flirting with me? Was she asking me out...on a date? I felt oddly warm all over and tingly and I was sure I was flushing. "Uh, well, that is a shame. Wasting the dress, I mean. Maybe...you wanna...do something, I dunno?"

 _Wow, way smooth, Rosalie,_ I chided myself. I sounded like a stuttering teenaged boy asking his middle school crush out for the first time.

Bella gave a little laugh, batting her eyes playfully. "Rosalie are you asking me out?"

"NO!" I was so used to denying my feelings for her that that was the first thing to blurt out of my mouth. But when I saw what looked like hurt blossom on her face, I lowered my voice and tried to fix my words. "I mean, yes. Uh, it's a fake date, a fake date!" My poor brain was short circuiting and I couldn't seem to stop it's senseless rambles.

Bella's playfulness seemed to drop a bit at the words fake date but before I could spot that shift, she was smiling at me once more. "Great, I would love to go on this fake date with you. Our first stop, is the movies!" She hooked her arm into mine and pulled me over to the theater.

 _A date, a date with Bella!_ I cheered internally, a touch of incredibility in my words. I couldn't believe it. How the heck had this day gone from the worst mess ever, thinking my heart was breaking to pieces and me lying on the bathroom floor, to me now going on a date, albeit a fake one, with the object of my obsession.

My insides were squirming in excitement and later doing backflips when I realized that me and Bella were going to be sitting in the dark. Together. And watching a romantic film.

I had been too wrapped up in my inner thoughts to be all there when we had bought the popcorn and drinks and selected the movie. I'm sure Bella tried asking me for my opinion but I had merely grunted out a yes or no or whatever.

I wasn't sure if I was ready for this and suddenly I felt the need to flee. What if...it wasn't fun? What if she never wanted to see another movie with me for some inexplicable reason?

 _Stop this_ , I scolded myself. _Stop being dumb and over thinking things. It's just a fucking move for Christ's sake. You've done them before and it's always been a fine chill affair._

 _But this is Bella,_ I argued back. _She means so much more than those dates I've had with the local town boys._

I took deep breathes to steady my nerves and tried to pull up my ice queen calm, the one that I used to help me keep my head in tough situations. It wasn't as effective given that Bella was sitting next to me and I would always be a nervous wreck around her but it did ease my mind a bit and I was able to relax into my seat, Bella to my left.

Once the movie started I was able to get into it, although it was so cliche and generic that I would roll my eyes at most of the dialogue and scenes there. Bella seemed to like it, laughing hard at the humor there, and gasping in shock at reveals of love or admiration between the two title characters. As I watched the boy and girl on screen slowly fall in love with each other, I felt vaguely sad and full of longing. It was so easy for a man and woman to date and be open with their affections but that was not the case for two people of the same gender in love with one another. It made me hate my feelings once more; for I was certain Bella was straight and I had once been too, and there was no way for me to escape this back into the peaceful oblivion I had once been in. I wish my life could have been like this movie, but things would never be that simple again.

When I had confessed to Alice, she had said nothing about it, only told me to go after Bella. But what did she really think about me? Would she still want to be my friend? Would she discourage me from pursuing Bella further? Or would she want me to go back to pretending I was only capable of love for men?

And Edward hated the fact I liked Bella. While he was willing to talk it out with me about treating Bella as not a prize to be won, that didn't mean he was any closer to accepting my fixation on her.

And who knew how Jasper and Emmett would respond to this? Thankfully, they didn't know yet. Would Alice tell them? I really hoped she would keep her mouth shut, but that was a nigh impossible task for her at the best of times, and this was not one of those situations. She had some gossip that was really juicy and it would torture not to be able to share it with anyone.

I began to squirm in my seat, suddenly worried that all of my friend group knew about my love for Bella.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked, noticing my agitated state.

"I'm fine," I whispered back. "My foot was falling asleep."

Bella took my excuse at face value and I tried to stop wiggling around as much though it was an effort in vain. I burned to text Alice and to confirm with her if my suspicions were true. I was almost about to rush out of the theater to call her when I felt Bella's head descend upon my shoulder. I instantly ceased all movement, feeling the breath in my lungs freeze.

Holy shit, was this for real?

Bella snuggled up closer to me. "That guy's head is too much in my way," she explained after a period of silence and I nodded my head minutely, not trusting my mouth to work right now. I slowly let the air leave my lungs, my heart jumping in my chest. It was going so fast that I thought I was going to get a coronary right here and now. I only hoped she couldn't feel it.

The sweet scent of vanilla wafted up from Bella's hair and her soft stray baby hairs tickled my cheek and neck. I curled my hands on the armrest trying hard to resist the urge to touch her hair.

Suffice to say, for the rest of the movie I forgot all about Alice and concentrated on trying to slow my heart beat down.

When it finished, the lights turning on made me blink my eyes in wonder. Those few hours in the dark had felt like a dream, but I knew it wasn't one. It was all real. "What did you think of the movie?" Bella asked me, as she looped her arm around mine as we walked down the street.

"It was cute," I say the first thing on my mind and try not to groan when I realize I'm thinking of her and saying that. Thankfully, it's not too incriminating and I can pretend I thought the movie was cute.

"I thought it was overtly sappy and cliche."

"Really? But you looked like you really enjoyed it."

"Something cliche doesn't necessarily mean it's bad, or less enjoyable."

"I guess so," I don't know what to respond with and let her walk us over to a restaurant. It's nothing too fancy so we don't have to wait to be seated, instead she slides us over to a small booth just for the two of us. "I hope you don't mind. I couldn't really eat much for breakfast since I was so nervous. And, I want to treat you for helping me."

"You don't have to-"

"I want to," Bella's eyes cut into me over her menu, and they are stern and warm at the same time, telling me it is folly to argue.

"Okay, I'll let you indulge me then." I give a watery smile and pick out the cheapest and most edible thing I can find on the menu.

"Rosalie," Bella huffs in annoyance, blowing up a strand of her hair. "You are not having a salad. Not on my watch. You're getting the burgers and fries."

"And what if I happen to like salad's? And you're depriving me of a healthy meal?" I don't know where my teasing tone comes from.

"Hmmm, you can have _both_ the salad and burger." She grins at me.

"Eating a salad after a burger doesn't cancel out the fatty carbs." I grin back.

"I don't know...that logic seems flawed. I guess you'll just have to see for yourself than if it's really true or not, by eating both." Bella snaps the menu closed and when the waitress approaches, orders for the both of us.

I don't even know if I can eat because of the nerves playing in my stomach, but I help myself to the complimentary water as we both wait for our food to arrive. Bella is incredibly chatty today and I have no idea why. I wouldn't have minded if my tongue wasn't tying itself into knots.

 _Come on, be cool_ , I scold myself for the millionth time and take a deep gulp of water, one I almost choke on when I feel Bella's leg brush mine under the table.

She pretends not to notice my sputtering and doesn't move her leg at all, keeping it there the whole time we eat our meals. I'm definitely over-analyzing what it means that her leg is there, and force myself to think that it's only there by mistake but when I finally get the nerve to move my leg, sighing in relief when the weird electricity racing up and down my body stops, she moves her leg again to press it against mine.

Should I ask her about it? Should I?

But I don't want to ruin the atmosphere, so I leave my leg there and we finish our meal with some generic conversation about schoolwork and that new TV show that's out. She pays for our bill and we head out once more, heading towards our respective cars where we parked them. "I'm glad you stayed today," she says, sincerity in her words.

"Yea, well no problem. We didn't want your outfit to go to waste, now did we." I stop when I reach my car and she stops next to me, suddenly looking really bashful, rocking back and forth on her heels, hands bunching up the ends of her dress nervously. "Yea, it was a fun fake date, wasn't it?"

"Yea, it was." She looks like she's drawing courage from my words and before she can back out, she leans in and pecks me on the cheek quickly.

Her sweet vanilla scent lingers even after she's moved back, my cheek burning like it was on fire. "Every date needs to be concluded with a kiss," she says quietly before turning away and walking swiftly to her car, parked several rows down from mine. She doesn't look back.

It takes me a good while to remember where I am and even longer to recall I've dropped my keys on the floor and have to bend over to pick them up, before sliding into my car. But I only sit behind the wheel, as my head is woozy and I don't feel steady at all.

Don't drink and drive, they say, and I am certainly intoxicated off of Bella right now.

I'm going to need someone to come pick me up and I dial Alice's number. "Hey, what's up!" she squeals into the phone. "I've been waiting and waiting so patiently for you to fill me in on the dets! And you know how hard it is to be patient if you're me."

"Alice, can you come pick me up?" I interrupt and her cheerful mood dies. She interprets my words and monotone voice as a sign of something bad.

"I'll be there in a jiffy. Just hold still, don't do anything dumb." There's rustling as she slides on her jacket.

I hang up and wait for her, head knocking against the steering wheel, because I desperately need to tell someone what just happened. Something told me, that this hadn't been a fake date at all.

 **A/N: Next chapter is already halfway done, so woo! Double upload this month to make up for missing last month's update. Might even be a triple if I get my plot together for this series.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Wilting Roses**

Chapter Ten: What It All Means

* * *

 _The brunette haired girl strolled through the art museum, observing everything with her eyes, eyes as wide as saucers and full of innocence. But from all the art, only two pieces stuck out to her. One was a Greek sculpture. Perfectly sculpted brows, chiseled chin, coiffed hair, and a body that just begged to have fingers run over. And the other was a portrait in the style of cubism. It was a mess of scribbled lines and face contorted in shock. One half was pleasant looking, smiling even, other half in pain, confused._

 _The brunette wavered between both pieces, running her fingers down the statue and watching as white flaked off on her fingers and cracks arose following the trail of her finger tips. Black ooze began to seep out and chunk by chunk the art work descended into pieces. It's perfection had been masking ugliness inside. So she approached the painting and stood there looking at it, tapping her chin thoughtfully. Another woman approached her, short haired and bright, glowing in the white room._

 _"It's not perfect because it's not complete yet." She held out a brush. "Why don't you finish it?"  
_

 _And the brunette picked up the brush and got to work._

* * *

"So, what does it all mean?" I ask once I finish recounting the past events with Alice. The pixie had remained silent the whole time, though she did squirm in her seat impatiently, lips shut tight and looking like it was killing her to not give her input until I had finished.

When she sees I'm done she lets out a huge gust of air and her words rush out. "Omg Rosalie, I think Bella likes you!"

"Alice, you thought that about Edward and look how that ended up."

"That's only because you lied to me about it, but now you've told me the truth and all the facts of her actions make sense! She must like you! The paying for the meal, the resting of her head on your shoulder, the touching under the table, and the kiss on the cheek. If it was only a fake date, she wouldn't have done those touches. But she did. Which must mean something."

"I don't know." I fiddled with my seat belt, drawing it across my chest. It makes me feel more grounded, more secure for Alice is feeding my hope and if she doesn't stop I'll get so light that I'll float away. "I don't want you to give me false hope."

"Fair enough," Alice raises both her hands. "But I'm just saying, keep your eyes and ears peeled. In the meantime, I'm going to try to get her to crack on how she feels about you."

"You're not very subtle, so I'd rather you not."

Alice pouts. "Come on, I'll be super stealthy this time." She moves her hands and head in the imitation of a ninja, whacking her head on the car door when she moves too fast. "Shoot," she grumbles, rubbing the side and I would have laughed if my previous concerns hadn't come flooding back.

"Does anyone else know?"

"About your crush? No, I haven't told anyone. I'm still kind of...processing it...myself," she adds sheepishly and I give her a look full of fear and panic.

"I'm not disgusted by it, or going to stop being friends with you," she says hastily, coloring a little in her cheeks. "It's just, I thought of you as straight for so long, and to have that whole image shatter now..."

"My whole image shatter?" I can feel my fear dissolve into something redder. "Just because I have a crush on Bella doesn't make me gay. I've never liked any other girl before and I've gone on dates with plenty of guys. The men in Forks just aren't anything special."

"And she is?" Alice voices softly.

"She is," I say sternly. "And just because I like her doesn't change the fact that I'm still me. I can still like the same clothes, the same music, the same food. And I'll still act the same way as before."

"Of course!" Alice sputters out in the dark of the car. We've been here for a while now and it's getting pretty late. "You're still Rosalie. I just didn't know how to...I mean...I didn't know if you wanted to be treated differently or something now."

"God, Alice. Don't be stupid," I scoff. "Just because I like a girl now, doesn't mean I'm going to wear flannel and drink beers. I want you to treat me like normal."

"Okay," Alice says quietly, and she's fiddling with her hands. I must have hurt her feelings and I didn't mean to. I was just still overcome by my new feelings and I had taken out my frustrations on her.

"Sorry," I sigh and squeeze the wheel with one hand. The leather creaks under my touch and it feels nice to hear the sound. "I'm just new to all this and I'm so confused sometimes. Half the time I hate this, and the other half I love it."

Alice's warm hand lands on my thigh and she squeezes, a lopsided smile on her face. "As long as you don't start gaining feelings for me, than we're all good."

I know she's teasing and I huff in fake annoyance. "That's not how being gay works." As soon as I say that three letter word, I feel a sense of belonging hit me. Have I always been gay, perhaps? Stuck in the belief I was hetero-normative because of what society had told me, and it took me Bella to see that it wasn't who I was?

"I know. And if you want to talk to me about it, I'm there. I'll be trying hard to understand and to hook up you and Bella together. I don't mind who you love. I'm just happy you love someone, because such an emotion is pure and powerful and you haven't been in love with anyone ever."

I want to say this love has only caused me pain so far, but perhaps it was because I had been going about it the wrong way? "Thanks, I appreciate the support. But I don't want your help Alice. I want to do this on my own. I _need_ to do this on my own." I wasn't going to pull an Edward and force my feelings onto Bella. Speaking of him, I still had to talk to him about this whole situation. We weren't finished on the topic.

It looks like a death sentence on Alice for her not to be able to get involved in my love life; it's been her dream project to get me on dates. "You can help me be romantic to her when I'm picking out dates to go on with her," I give her a concession and she brightens up.

"You are going to sweep her off of her feet so hard with my help that she'll never land," Alice cheers, clapping her hands as plans fill her mind.

"I sure hope so," I murmur as Alice hops out my car and heads to hers. It's time for us to head home and I finally turn the key in the ignition, feeling less drunk on love than before and more level headed.

* * *

I finally manage to track Eddy down on Monday three days after the date. He doesn't look happy at my appearance and even less happy to ask about my Friday, though he does it out of courtesy.

"It was good. Bella and I just hung out around town for a little bit."

He looks to be bursting with questions on that but keeps them back. "So, this situation between us..."

"We let Bella decide. We can offer events that she can hang out with us on, but we cannot force her to go to them if she doesn't want to. We are to both treat her like a human being and not a possession." I almost feel like I am lecturing him and I hate that, but its imperative that he knows the rules of this.

Before more can be said, Bella shows up by our lockers, wide smile on her face, that only gets wider at seeing me. My cheek tingles and Alice's words on how Bella might actually like me run through my head. Nope, I can't let Alice make me project false assumptions onto Bella. I would figure it out myself if she liked me or not.

"Hello, Bella." Edward greets and I can still see the pain and shame of the rejection of their date on his face. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry if you felt like I had forced you onto a date. That wasn't my intention."

"That's okay. I'm sure you didn't mean to be pushy. Let's just stay friends, okay?"

Wow, talk about smoothly friend-zoning a guy in the same breath as telling him everything was okay and forgiven.

Edward's eye does a little twitch and I almost feel bad for him before I realize he is after all my rival in love. But then I feel bad again when I think about how this could be the way she rejects me too.

"Yea, friends. I can do that." The ringing of the bell saves him and he hurries off to class. I am about to follow him but Bella snags onto my wrist gently, her warm touch making a shiver crawl down my spine.

"Hey, I um, wanted to ask you if you had any plans after school today?"

"No, I don't." I am confused by her question.

"That's great! I was wondering if you wanted to check out this new ice cream parlor that just opened up."

My mouth goes dry. Oh, she's asking me out. But just to be sure, "should I get Alice to come too? She's a huge ice cream fanatic."

Something in Bella's hopeful brown gaze goes dark and she bites on her bottom lip. "Sure. I mean if you want. I thought the two of us would be fine."

"Uh, no, it is fine. I'll text you after school about it, okay?" And then I pull myself away from her, my cheek burning where she had last kissed me. I need to text Alice and confer with her on this, on Bella asking me out on a date.

Alice sounds more excited than me about this date, and she quickly begins to list tips and tricks on how to make the night more exciting. I, however, don't need anymore excitement because my heart is already pounding away in my chest and my hands are clammy.

"Don't be nervous," Alice adds before winking and flitting away when Bella nears me in the parking lot.

 _Gee, thanks. Don't be nervous. Right._ I sigh sarcastically in my head and lean against my car, trying to effect an unaffected demeanor.

"Ready to go?" I ask, jiggling my keys in my hand.

"Yup," she slides into the passenger seat of my car and it was only mere weeks ago that she sat here, and was talking about dresses to buy for Alice's party. Back then I could barely talk to her coherently, my ability to string together sentences cohesively failing spectacularly. Now, it was a bit easier but I would be lying if I said I didn't feel my nerves kicking in. It was going to be the two of us, again. I wonder if she would brush her leg against mine once more. If she would kiss me once more...

I shook my head to clear my thoughts so I could focus better on following Bella's instructions on how to get to the new ice cream joint. The ride was only five minutes and soon we were seated, debating over ice cream flavors.

"What's your favorite flavor?" I asked as we perused the menu.

"What kind of flavor do you think I like?" she raised her brow.

I shrugged. "Vanilla?" That was always a safe choice. Almost everyone in the world ate vanilla ice cream because it was such a basic flavor.

Bella let out a small laugh and my insides glowed at her reaction. I was making her laugh! That was always a good sign. "Vanilla, really?"

"What, what's wrong with vanilla?"

"It's such a boring flavor. Do you take me for a boring person, Rosalie?"

"No, not at all. I just don't know your tastes very well." Was this...was this flirting? No, it couldn't be, right? Maybe I was reading the signs wrong but Bella's lilting voice, her way of leaning forward, and her coy smile, made it seem like she was. I had never been the recipient of a woman's affections, however, I often employed the same tactics when trying to get something from a guy.

But why would she be flirting with me?

"Well, my tastes are very specific. I like chocolate, and rocky road," she began to point at the flavors on the menu and I followed her slender fingers journey. "I also like honeydew melon and caramel swirl. But my favorite flavor by far is cherry."

My throat suddenly felt dry and I swallowed hard. "Uh, cherry's not on the menu."

Bella maintained her direct gaze on me, and I felt hot under it, like I was suddenly standing in the middle of a desert and not an ice cream shop. "Not yet," she said softly but with promise and I desperately needed to go hide because my face was flushing like crazy. "Uh, order something for me, I gotta go, uh, pee."

I speed walked over to the bathroom, barely noticing Bella's frown at my departure. "But I don't know what flavors you fancy," she called out to my back.

"Surprise me!" I shouted back as I jerked the bathroom door open and locked myself in. There I promptly sank to the floor, bathroom floor germs be damned. I needed a moment to myself to try and compute everything that had just happened. Bella had definitely been flirting with me, even coming onto me directly ( it made me blush to think she could insinuate such naughty things) and I had run away like a coward. What was wrong with me? It had only been a few weeks ago that I had talked myself into confessing to her, and now I had lost my nerve and couldn't even handle a conversation with her? I pulled out my phone, needing some additional courage from Alice. It took me a while to find the right way to frame the details of what had happened.

Alice shot back a text almost immediately and I had a sneaking suspicion she was paying her phone extra attention just so she could interfere with my love life. I wouldn't be surprised if she was spying on us right now. **OMG she's totally flirting with u! U need to flirt back! ASAP!**

 **U sure?**

 **Def!**

 **...**

 **Listen, just trust me on this. She's totes coming onto u.**

 **But y would she?**

 **Maybe she likes you back? U won't find out unless u try! What r u scared of?**

I sighed and tapped my head against the locked door. Alice was right. This being scared wasn't like me, and I was tired of it. I was tired of being a mess because of my feelings. I got up and looked myself in the mirror. Striking brown almost golden hazel eyes stared back from under perfectly arched brows. Blonde locks in perfect waves fell around my face and down my shoulders. High cheekbones, a strong nose, and full red lips gave me my model like features. I looked hella fine, and I was super smart (all A's in my classes) plus I had money and a promising future awaiting me. I had no reason not to be confident.

I pointed at the reflection, and pushing away the slightly silly feeling at doing this, I said. "You are Rosalie Lillian Hale, and you are a fucking boss. Time to act like it."

Bella's timid knock came at the door. "Rosalie? I got you your ice cream. Hurry up and come out before it melts."

Giving myself one more once over in the mirror, I smiled and spinning around on my heel, I left.

Bella jumped in surprise at the violent way I opened the door. "What did you get me?"

"I got you vanilla caramel."

"Ah, calling _me_ a boring person now?"

"Hey, I got you caramel with it," she defended playfully.

I slid into a booth she had picked for us, taking a spoon to the bowl that was there. She sat in front of me. "And what does the caramel stand for?"

"Reading into ice cream meanings now? What is this? Fortune telling?"

" _Delicious_ fortune telling," I corrected, taking great care to lick my spoonful in what could best be described as sexually but not overtly so. Alice thought Bella liked me, but Alice thought that of anything or anyone who showed me a modicum of interest. Case in point, a guy who bought me a drink at the store. He was just being nice because it was a hot day and I didn't have any cash on me and the store wasn't accepting credit. Therefore, I had to check the validity of Alice's statement my own way. And what better way than to eat ice cream seductively.

"Right," Bella said softly, eyes following the motions of my tongue closely, spoon forgotten in her hand.

I pretended not to notice this, even as my heart rate speed up. It was almost enough to make me lose the new cool and confidence I had put on. "Are you not going to eat your ice cream?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Oh, yea, I am!" Bella looked down as if realizing where she was and what she was doing. Blushing, she dug into her food.

 _Holy shit, maybe Bella is interested in me after all. It would explain why she rejected Eddy so many times._ I was feeling hope bubble up in my stomach and it was enough to make a smile come to my lips. And to embolden me. I brushed my leg against hers and kept it there the whole time. She didn't move her leg away but looked up from beneath the fringes of her hair with a knowing look.

I also pretended not to notice that, and instead decided to carry out a conversation with her.

* * *

That wasn't the last time we hung out. In fact, we began to hang out more often, just the two of us.

I made sure to keep Alice updated. My texts and stories to her were like crack and I was worried what would happen if I ever ran out of things to report.

But despite hanging out with each other at typical teenager hang out spots, neither of us called it a date. Not until the upcoming Saturday.

"Let's go on a date," Bella suggested Friday after class in the loud bustle of the hallway as students cleared out.

"A date?" I slammed my locker closed, the digits on my lock whirling like my mind.

"It can be a fake date like last time. I just don't want to hang out with Edward again."

"Oh." For a second I had thought it was going to be a real date. But no, she only wanted rescuing from Edward. Again. Not that I really minded. I was glad she'd blown him off for me, but I just wished we could go out together because she wanted us to and not needed it for a cover. If she didn't ask me out soon, than I would. Eventually.

My brief confidence from before had it's moments. Sometimes it would come out strong and proud and I was the same old ice queen as before. And then other moments I was meek and a stuttering blushing fool. I had to work on getting back to my old self, but for now, I guess this would have to do. So, until I was in my more red tie moods, I wouldn't be asking her out, only taking her generous handouts.

"Okay, so where do you want to go?"

"Movies?" she suggested, shrugging. "It worked well last time."

"Sure." I don't have any other better ideas. Not much you can really do in a small town like Forks. "I'll pick you up?"

"Great!" Bella smiles and hurries away and I smile too because at the very least I will be able to spend time with her and keep Edward away from her for longer.

I'm so absorbed in thinking about our future date and on watching her leave that Edward's voice from behind me surprises me.

"She's dumping me for you, again." Dejection is clear in the lines of his face and his voice is soft, defeated. He leans on the locker next to mine.

I won't apologize because we both know that this is a battle and to the victor go the spoils, though Bella is no one's treasure to claim because she is not property in the way Edward thinks she needs to be won over. "She is."

I won't say more on this and he senses it for he sighs heavily and watches with anguished eyes as she walks out the school doors. It suddenly strikes me that perhaps he is just as in love with her as I am. I don't know what to make of that fact. Bella is a very lovable person so it's not surprising, I just wish that it wasn't Edward who also loved her, because despite how much of an ass he can be, he is still my friend and it hurts me to see him hurt like I once was.

I place a reassuring hand on his shoulder and squeeze before leaving wordlessly. Loving someone can be hard.

I try to keep Edward's pain out of my mind for the date on Saturday. I shouldn't feel bad about this. If Bella wants to spend time with me and not him then it's not my fault. It's her choice to make. Yet I do. It prompts me to speak with her about this topic after we come out the movie theater. We're siting at a diner eating, her leg rubbing against mine. It stills at my words.

"Bella, I know you don't like Eddy, and that's fine. You don't have to like him romantically- it's your life. But he's also my friend...and it sucks to see him looking so despondent."

She blinks at me. "I'm not trying to hurt him. But if I don't make it clear to him I'm not interested than how will he ever get the message? If I hang out with him, it'll just lead him on. And I think that's worse. Giving false hope about feelings is just cruel."

I nod my head. She's right. But I'm also right. "Still, it wouldn't hurt to be his friend. If the three of us hang out, would that be fine? It doesn't have to be often, just enough times to help him deal with his heartbreak."

She nods her head.

"He likes you a lot," I add, not knowing why I added all that.

"And who do you like?" her question catches me off guard and I nearly choke on my fry, hurriedly gulping down some water. She moves to help but I wave her away. "I'm fine," I say in a hoarse voice.

She arches her brow, still expectant of an answer.

"Myself. I like myself a lot," I say in false arrogance, tossing my hair for good measure.

"Sure," Bella grins and begins to rub her leg up and down mine again.

"And who do you like," I toss right back at her.

 _"Une femme avec le soleil dans les cheveux, des roses à son nom, et mon amour sur les lèvres_ ," Bella says and I let my mouth gape open in surprise.

"Did you just go french on my ass?"

She smirks, failing to hide her amusement. "I did indeed."

I huff. "That is not fair. How am I supposed to know what you said?"

"Because maybe you aren't supposed to know. Not yet, at least." Her words are cryptic and do nothing to soothe my curiosity.

"Where did you even learn French?"

"At my old high school. I took it there and in my middle school. Five years in total, though I am getting a bit rusty."

"Nonsense. It sounds amazing. All I know is a handful of Spanish phrases, like _de donde es mi automobile?"_

She laughs at that. "Your accent is terrible!"

"It is not! It's totally passable!"

We argue back and forth on this topic until our food is done and before we know it's five and time to go back home.

"Thanks, I had fun today with you," Bella says as we stand in front of the store. We're going to go our separate ways. She's still got some grocery shopping to do and I've got homework to start.

"So did I." We look at each other, getting lost in each other's gaze. There's something different in her eyes today and I can't tell what. Something like hunger? I used to be good at reading people-that's what let me talk my way out of situations easily, or to get to the top of the school hierarchy. But with Bella, I could never tell. She was an enigma. I could only guess what thoughts lay beyond her honey brown eyes.

The silence stretched on until Bella finally broke it.

"Every date needs to be concluded with a kiss," she reminded me, hands latching onto my sleeves as she leaned in. I stuck out my cheek obediently so she could kiss it. But she took me by surprise and bypassed it, going right for the lips.

It was only the briefest of touches but it was enough to ignite an electrical storm in me. I could feel every nerve ending in my body come alive, screaming in joy, and demanding more. But my mind was too overwhelmed by the kiss; too overheated and all I could do was watch as Bella licked her lips and smiling to herself proudly, left. "See you at school Rosalie."

"Uh, yea, sure." Trying desperately to act cool and like this wasn't a big deal, I turned on my heel and promptly walked into a lamp post.

Definitely not my finest moment.

Later that night as I lay in bed, icing my sore nose, Bella sent me a text message.

 **U wanted to know what I said in French earlier when you asked me who I like. This is who I like:**

 **A woman with sun in her hair, roses to her name, and my love on her lips.  
**

I stare at the message for a long time and trace my lips with my index finger as a warmth fills my whole body from head to toe.

It's official.

Bella likes me.

 **A/N: Cherries are often associated with a lady's parts, so, you can guess just what exactly Bella wants to eat. It's not ice cream at all.**

 **Also a quick thank you for all the support on this fic. I know the updating schedule is not the best so thanks for those of you who have stuck around.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Wilting Roses**

Chapter Eleven: High as a Kite

* * *

 _I give the princess the kiss that awakes her from her slumber. She takes my hand and the two of us journey off to my kingdom in order to spend the rest of our lives together. The evil queen, one I had thought defeated the moment I let my heart love, rises up from the ashes, spewing hate and jealousy._

 _"I will have your happiness if it's the last thing I do!"_

 _She promises and then disappears into the night, silent for now._

* * *

Apparently I take too long to go downstairs to answer my door because by the time I get down there, Alice has broken in through my window and is smiling innocently at me, window frame propped up behind her.

"Alice," I start in a tired voice.

She pops a cheery smile and tiptoes up, hands behind her back. "Hey Rosalie."

"You broke my window."

"You weren't answering the door."

I sigh, shake my head. As soon as Bella had texted me that she liked me I had passed the word onto Alice, receiving a text five minutes later that said to open the door. "I wasn't expecting you to come over."

"Well, how could you not-this is big freaken news and I need to hear every last detail of what happened. She likes you! She really does! And she was so romantic about it, speaking in French." Alice sighs romantically and bats her eyes. You'd think with the way she's acting that she's the one with the crush.

But I give in to her demands and tell her word for word what happened. She laps up my story eagerly, laughing at my admittance that I had nearly broke my nose after the kiss. "So, what are you going to do now?"

I shrug. "Take her out on a date?"

"But the two of you have been going on dates for a while now," Alice points out.

"What else can I do?" I've never gotten this far in a relationship before. No one had captured my interest like Bella had.

"You silly," Alice pokes me hard in the forehead. "You ask her to be your girlfriend."

I feel insecurities eat up at me. "What if she says no? What if she only wants it to be a casual thing?"

Alice lets out a huff of air. "Dating isn't rocket science, Rosalie. She made a big step, putting herself out there, and you need to do the same. Take a risk. Did you even respond to her text."

"No," I admit shamefully.

Alice slaps my forearm now. "Then what are you waiting for? She's probably freaking out, thinking you don't like her or something."

"What do I even tell her?"

Alice lets a coy smile twist up her lips. "Do a romantic gesture in return. Use some romantic phrasing."

I've never really been good at expressing my feelings, so I shake the suggestion off. "I'm just gonna stick to simple and easy."

"Noooo," Alice howls in devastation as she clings to my arm as I go to text Bella. "It has to be romantic! Romantic!"

"Alice, I'm not going to let you use me to fulfill some fantasy of yours."

"But it has to be an epic love tale. It has to be!" she pouts at me.

I'm not moved. "You can do that for your love tale. Not mine." I free myself from her vice like hold and go to the bathroom where I text Bella, ignoring Alice's insistent requests for me to let her in.

 **What a coincidence. I seem to know that that girl you speak of likes you back too.**

I hold my breath as I press the send button. There is no coming back from this.

She responds within seconds. **Now that we both know we like each other, what are you going to do about it?**

I let out a huge exhale, let a smile linger on my lips. **Make you my girlfriend.**

 **You better :) I'll see you for our date this Saturday?**

My grin is so wide now it hurts my cheeks. Why had I ever been worried that she wouldn't like me back? It all seemed so silly now that I thought about it.

"Rosalie," Alice whines from the other side of the door. "I can hear you smiling in there. Tell me what happened. Don't be a meanie, tell me."

So I do, because I'm in too good of a mood not to.

* * *

I'm too giddy to go to sleep that night, tossing and turning in my bed, smiling to myself like a dumb-ass, and burying my head into my pillow to sigh contently into it. Once it gets to be too much, I crawl out of bed and go downstairs, flicking the TV on and making myself at home on the couch with a bowl of cereal.

But even as I try to keep my mind on the nature documentary that's on, my lips turn up into a smile, my joy too much to be contained in my body.

Jasper breaks my self contained bubble a couple minutes later when he comes back.

"You're just coming home?" I arch a brow at him, feeling sister mode switch on. Without our parent's around, it's up to me and him to regulate each other's behavior, to care for each other.

"Uh, yea. What are you doing up?" he says sheepishly before he tries to question me about my behavior.

"I couldn't sleep," I explain, setting my cereal to the side so I can talk more freely, focus more on him. "Jasper, it's two in the morning on a school night. Were you out with the boys?"

"No, I was over at Alice's place," he admits with something like pride and embarrassment.

Alice's house? Was there a new development that I hadn't heard about, because I was too busy being wrapped up in my world of me and Bella? "And?" I edge, hoping he will tell me more.

"And good night. I'm going to bed now." He sprints up the stairs and I go to the stair bottom to glare up at his retreating back.

"Jasper Hale, you better tell me the truth about what's happening."

"Alice is your best friend. Why don't you ask her?"

I narrow my eyes in thought but go back to watching TV. Has Alice been keeping a secret from me?

Now that too keeps me up at night.

* * *

When I get to school that day, the lack of sleep isn't enough to make me drained and cranky, because the thought of Bella, my now girlfriend, is enough to keep me feeling like I could run a marathon. All the way to the moon.

Cheesy and ridiculous, I know.

But it's Alice I need to see first. I catch her just as she's coming out of her car. Usually she's here before me, but today I came to school early because I couldn't stand to sit still at home.

"Alice!" I wave her over to my car and she slings her bag over her shoulder before skipping her way over.

"What's poppin'?" she asks and I cringe at her new terminology. Ever since she started watching Cardi B videos, she's trying to speak like her, and I've told her multiple times that only Cardi B can act like Cardi B and make it look cool. Alice just looks like a little kid who can't speak right.

"Jasper was over at your house last night," I get straight to the point because I don't have the patience to wait longer. "What was that about?"

She furrows her brows, no doubt taken aback by my early morning interrogation. "He came over to watch a movie with me. He told me I just had to watch it with him, so I did."

"And that was all it was?" I grill her, arms across my chest. I knew Jasper had once had a thing for Alice; it was when they first met. But he had always been too shy to do anything about it, citing that he didn't want to complicate things before them and that he was just content to be there by her side.

I had thought he had gotten over her, since he'd stopped hanging out with her so much one on one, and talking about it to me. But maybe something remained between them? Maybe Alice was the one who liked him now and was trying to hook up with him?

If that was the case, I was going to get royally pissed because here Alice was, obsessing over Bella and me, and not breathing a word of her own romance. I was her best friend, I deserved to know things that were happening on her side too.

She tips her head in confusion. "Yea, why would it be anything else?"

She's not faking this confusion, so that means nothing has happened. I don't know what Jasper's point was in getting me to ask Alice.

I shrug, trying to come off indifferent now. "It was just late. And on a school night. So, you know..." I trail off pointedly.

"OMG Rosalie," she slaps me on the arm, finally getting it. For someone whose so into romance and dating tips, she's so clueless when it comes to people liking her. She can see the signs between other people but not when it comes to her own life. "I wouldn't- you know," she blushes. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear- or tries to, for her hair is still short- and looks away. "He's your brother," she finishes softly and one of my eyebrows floats up.

A-ha.

So that's what Jasper was doing, the little shit. By getting me to ask Alice about last night, he could through me, inadvertently find out her reaction to this all. I was the middle man to him finding out about her feelings. I was going to have a good talk to him about being a coward- which was ironic since I had been a big wuss too, but you know, I was allowed to. I was in lesbians with Bella. He was in hetero with Alice. Confessing to one was way easier than to the other.

"Nevermind, Jasper was just being a little shit and all mysterious about what the two of you were doing and I was curious."

"Well, nothing happened," Alice said, adjusting the designer bag on her back. I try to read into her words and the way she says it, but I cannot tell if she's disappointed by nothing happening, or relieved. I frown. Surely, Alice would have told me if she had feelings for someone. She's not the type to remain quiet about her emotions.

"Okay," I say and together we walk towards the school.

Inside the halls I catch a glimpse of brown honey hair and my lips quirk up into that damn goofy grin I just can't seem to temp down. Alice notices and she smiles too. "Go talk to your girlfriend, Rosalie. I'm going to go find Emmett."

As if Bella now has powers thanks to us being girlfriends, she senses me before I even say something to call her attention, turning around and smiling when she sees me.

"Hi," she says.

"Hi," I whisper back as we pause in the middle of the hallway, totally ignorant of the people trying to make their way around us.

"So, this Saturday?" she questions.

"What about it? Where are we going?"

"Well, since it's out first official date as a couple," she says, lacing her fingers with mine and squeezing them before pulling away, "I thought you could come over to my house?"

"Getting me to meet the parents? Isn't that moving too fast? Next thing you know, we'll be exchanging wedding rings by the end of the month."

She rolls her eyes. "No, it'll just be us there. I want to cuddle with you and watch movies on the couch. Plus, I was hoping to cook dinner for you."

"Wow, talk about wife-y skills. We might be getting married after all."

She laughs at that, something sweet and crystal clear. "If that's the case, I expect a huge diamond ring and a stunning proposal."

"Sure thing."

The bell rings and unfortunately we have to part ways. We stand there awkwardly in front of each other, not wanting to leave without touching each other somehow, but not sure how to. I don't want to be so...gay, for a lack of a better term, with my affections towards her and I know she can see my hesitation.

So we both settle on a hug. A hug that is too short. A hug infused with her soft vanilla scent and the warmth of her body.

"I'll see you after class. Meet me for lunch in the library?" she asks as we walk in separate directions.

"Okay." I wonder why she wants to meet in the library but I don't inquire deeper into it, just go to class.

Class takes forever, the teacher droning on and on and I don't wish to hear his boring voice but Bella's soothing tones. Lunch cannot arrive soon enough and I rush to the library to find her. She's sitting somewhere in the back, book propped up on her lap as she sits on the rug cross legged.

Her eyes reach up to search my face as I come in and she pats the spot next to me. Normally I wouldn't dare entertain thoughts of sitting down on the carpet but with her I don't mind.

"What are we doing here?" I ask in a hushed tone. "Why aren't we in the lunch room?"

She shots me a coy look, closing the book she's been reading. "We're here to make out, obviously." And then she leans in and captures my lips with hers.

My mind just melts, because this kiss is more than the first kiss she ever gave me. That had been a precursor, a teaser. This was the real deal.

My fears at being caught, at someone seeing us, don't make it out my mouth, because Bella is moving in, hugging the back of my neck with her arms, pressing the full weight of her body onto me.

I moan and press back into her, making out furiously with her, hands raking up the back of her shirt, bunching the material hard. I'm the ice queen whose walls of ice are slowly melting with each glide of Bella's lip on my lip, with each small gasp she releases into my mouth.

We're so into each other we don't even register that lunch is over until the bell for class has rang.

We pull apart with a pop and Bella licks her lips for traces of my lip gloss, running a thumb over my lip to remove any smudges. "I've always wanted to make out like this with someone in the library."

"Someone?"

"You," she admits, biting her bottom lip, as if flustered by her own answer. She runs her hands over my head, smoothing down my mussed up hair. "I might have ruined your look a bit." For once I don't care. I used to be obsessed with looking perfect all the time, even during gym class on a hot summer day, but I don't care right now.

"And you look flushed, like you've come back from a hot shower," I add, taking in her red cheeks, swollen lips, and lowered lids.

"Mmmm, is that a suggestion from you on us taking a shower together?" she asks in a low voice and I gulp because how is she such a better flirt than me? I've flirted with tons of guys before, and I've always reduced them to this lust soaked stupor like she is to me.

"Only, after we get married at the end of the month," I say in a shaky voice, trying hard to keep images of a naked Bella and me out of my head and failing terribly.

"You're one of those old fashioned girls," Bella nods her head playfully. "Well, then, you better wife me up and quick because I don't know if I can wait that long around you." She ducks down to kiss my lips quickly before she helps me up.

I may have missed lunch but I'm full on Bella's kisses.

* * *

I make it to my English Lit class late, sliding into my seat next to Alice. She shoots me a look that causes me to flush. I didn't have as much time as I wanted to touch up my makeup and to fix my hair so Alice knows something is up. "Had a good break with Bella?"

"How do you know I was with her?" I scoff out.

She rolls her eyes, whispers, "I know the two of you are dating, remember?"

I roll my eyes back at her. "Just because we're dating, doesn't mean we're always together when we're not around you guys." I'm still too insecure about my relationship with Bella, about being gay for her. And I know Alice is accepting of me...it's just different talking about it in school because it makes things so much more real.

"Alright, then, what did you do, _without_ Bella," she says, feigning to take down notes when she sees the teacher pass us by to hand out notes.

"Uh, read a book."

"Sure," she snorts.

"I do read from time to time."

"You skipped lunch, to read a book." Alice sounds in disbelief and it isn't a very believable statement, coming from me. I'm smart, but I don't read books for fun.

"The book was very engaging." I argue, attempting and failing to hold up my weak charade.

"Was the book Bella?"

I shoot her a look, cheeks red like apples.

"So, it _was_ a good break with Bella," she chuckles, smug.

I huff and busy myself with some of the work that is being passed around. "You can never stay out of my business, can you?"

"I just want to make sure things are going smoothly. I care for you and your happiness, Rosalie." Sometimes I don't know what to do with Alice's blunt honesty.

"Thanks," I say, because this time I do. The moment doesn't last, for I cannot take any more of it's sweet intensity. "But you're only trying to butter me up because you want to copy my answers for this worksheet."

She pouts. "Please? The short story he assigned us was sooooooo boring. I just couldn't read it."

"Alice, no," I snatch my paper away from her grabby hands. "You do this every time."

"Just this once. Please, it'll be the last time I ask," she clasps her hands together and pouts even harder at me.

"Alice, that's what you said last time. And the time before that." I try to make my voice hard.

She begins to whimper and I sigh out heavily. "Fine, but this _is_ the last time," I stress.

Her pout fades into a cocky smirk. "That's what _you_ said last time, and the time before that."

"Hey," i growl out at her, "watch it with the snark."

She just cheerily hums and looks over my shoulder so she can see my work.

The silence between us doesn't last long. "Eddy was concerned during lunch."

"Why?" But I know why.

"Both you and Bella were missing, and he knows how you feel about Bella."

"But it's too late for his concern. Bella's my girlfriend now." I get a thrill every time I say that because I still can't believe how lucky I am for her to be mine.

"He doesn't know that."

"So you want me to tell him?" I don't like the idea of that. Oh, who am I kidding, I'd love to rub it into his face.

"It would be nice to do so. He is our friend."

"I'll text him," I make a move to pull out my phone sneakily from my bag, but Alice's small hand stills mine.

"Do it in person. It's the nice thing to do."

I roll my eyes. "Fine," I groan out. "I'll tell him in person."

* * *

Saturday arrives, and with it my visit to Bella's house. I'm a bit nervous as I pull my car up to the address she has given me. I've even dressed up for this, though we won't be going anywhere. If her father and mother are here I want to make a good first impression. She opens the door up to my constipated looking face. She takes one look, understands and laughs, wiping her hands on this apron she's wearing that makes her look like a housewife.

"You can relax. My dad's not home."

"But your mom still is."

"I don't live with my mother."

"Oh." And now I have opened up a potentially dangerous can of worms. _Way smooth, Hale,_ I scold myself. _Already bringing up the shitty topics._

But Bella doesn't seem to mind; apparently the hurt between her and her mother is an old hurt, or she's just great at masking the pain. She invites me inside and I sling my jacket up on the coat rack.

She gives me a brief tour of the house, because she doesn't want to leave her chicken unattended. She introduces me to the den, the dining room, the upstairs bathroom, and her bedroom. The room is surprisingly pink.

"I didn't know you were secretly obsessed with princesses," I tease, spotting the castle and cloud print bed sheets.

"Its Charlie. He hasn't changed the room ever since I was a young girl, and when I moved back in, I didn't have the heart to change it. He still can't believe I grew up and am no longer his little Bella."

There is so much I don't know about Bella, and her inviting me here to her house clues me into that. I want to know more about her. Want to know her hurts and her highs, be there for all of it. But I do not pry for now, wanting to just enjoy my time with her. If she wants to tell me more, she will, and I will listen eagerly.

Dinner is served shortly and it's delicious. "You should be a cook," I tell her.

"It's just chicken Alfredo and rice."

I gasp, mock offended. "Just chicken Alfredo? Are we perhaps eating different versions of this meal because mine is scrumptious!"

She rolls her eyes but secretly loves my flattery. "You're only saying that so you can get seconds."

I grin. "Yes, please," and hold up my plate so she can refill it.

After dinner we cuddle up on the couch under a blanket as she flicks something onto the TV. "What do you want to watch?"

"I'm not choosy. Pick something you like."

"But I want to pick something you might like."

I throw her a gracious smile, because she's being really cute. "Let's pick something we both like."

It takes us half an hour to finally settle on a movie that we're both fine with. However, even as it plays, the both of us are more interesting to in casting glances at each other, in letting fingers play under the blanket.

"Pay attention to the movie," Bella teases.

"I am. You're the one not paying attention to it."

"I _so_ am."

"Then what's it about?" I turn to her, knowing I've got her there.

She wrinkles up her nose in thought. I want to kiss it because she's just too cute right now. "Um...explosions? And manly men fighting...?"

"Close but no cigar."

"As if you know any better what it's about."

"I do." I quickly recount the plot to her, leaning in closer to her, letting our shoulders brush together.

She narrows her eyes suspiciously. "I think you cheated."

"I may or may not have watched this movie before," I admit shiftily.

"Cheater!"

"It's not cheating if I'm educated on the topic."

"Oh, that's what you call it these days?"

As we tease each other, our faces draw closer together, movie steadily forgotten. Our words taper off and we just look at each other, hazel eyes searching brown.

I don't know who kissed who first, but once we started we couldn't stop. It was like kissing was the new breathing. We had to keep doing it in order to stay alive. Her lips were soft on mine, tongue a sneaky little vixen that kept plundering my mouth in search of treasure. I fought back with my tongue, trying to one up her.

"You're so competitive," she laughed into my mouth, hands on my hips, thumbs making circles on clothing that covered skin too heated. "It's okay, I already know you're a great kisser."

"Really? And how's that?" I suck on her tongue and she lets out a small groan, eyes fluttering shut before she can compose her answer.

"Because you're Rosalie Hale." She says as if that is a widely known fact. I'm flattered either way.

For that I suck extra hard on her tongue, my hands going up to cup her chin. Our kisses are getting more heated than before. She huffs in arousal, breathing hard through her nose.

"Mmmm, we need to stop," she murmurs out though she makes no move to stop.

"And why's that?" I leave hot kisses up and down her neck, nibbling on the hint of collarbone I can see peeking out.

"Because-" she lets out a soft moan here and cranes her neck back so I can do more. "My dad is here."

That's enough to freeze the blood in my veins and I pull back. Sure enough I hear the rattle of a key in a lock.

"Act casual. I haven't told him about us yet," she whispers into my hair and we both moved a foot apart on the couch and watch the TV. I have no idea what's playing, but I pretend like it is the most engrossing thing in the world, hand on chin contemplatively.

She affects the same demeanor, even going so far as to scroll through her phone.

He comes in a couple of seconds later, stopping when he sees me there. "Bella, you have guests over?"

"Yea, I told you about it in the morning," she says, looking up at him.

"When you said guests I didn't expect Rosalie Hale to be on your couch."

Ah, so he's heard of me.

"Is there a problem?" I ask, jerking up my chin. How does he know me? Have I ever gotten in trouble with the law?

"I know your parents," he turns to me, admiration and respect in his eyes. _Oh, good, someone does, because I don't._ I bitterly think, because it's been months since they have walked the halls of our home, and weeks since they've even texted me and Jasper to ask how we are. "They worked with the police department, donated us some new cars. It was very nice of them."

"Yes, very," I say through a thin smile.

"Your parents are rich?" Bella turns to me, curiosity on her face. "I mean, I knew you had money to dress nice, and that you lived in a nice house, but they're the 'rich enough to donate' type?"

"They're philanthropists, flying around the world and helping people in need." My face feels tight as I say this, and I hope my discontent can't be heard in my tone. "If you've ever heard of Hale Home and Hearts, my parents created that charity for orphans in need of temporary shelter and health care."

"Wow, that's so cool! You must be so proud of them. Are you thinking of continuing the work?"

Well, the company will be handed down to me anyways, but I don't know if I want to fly around the world. I do know for sure that I want a stable life, a typical family. I want to be there for my kids. "I...don't know. Depends on what my parent's want," I say at last.

"Pass on the word that the police department is still grateful for the donation," Charlie adds. "I'll get out of your hair now and let you girls get back to your movie." He trudges up the stairs, leaving me and Bella alone.

I can't seem to get my good mood back, tense at the mention of my parents. "I think I'll head home." I get up.

"Do you have to?" Bella pleads.

I nod my head. "Your dad is here. It means our date is up."

She looks reluctant but nods her head. "Ill walk you out-"

"I've got it." I wave my hand, snagging my coat off the rack and not even looking back at her as she rises with the intention to walk me out. I know I'm taking out my lingering frustrations with my parents out at her, but I can't stop myself. To amend things a bit, I shoot her a small smile over my shoulder before rushing out. "See you at school."

* * *

I kind of forget to tell Eddy about me and Bella dating. Though, to be fair, she keeps distracting me.

In our secret alcove in the library she plies me with kisses until she makes me love drunk and all I can do is think about her and how much longer until we can make out in the back of my car.

Our hands have gotten bolder, and our needs louder, getting harder to ignore. She let's me get to second base in my car one afternoon, but before it can get too good, we're interrupted by Alice who knocks on the window. "You might want to tone it down. The car was starting to rock." Bella pulls down her shirt in her shame and I hide my face behind my hair. We continue it at her house, because her father is never home either, and at my place, Jasper is there too often and he would have too many questions to ask if he saw us there.

It's been only three weeks of us dating but it feels like much longer. Like we have known each other for an eternity. I'm at her place during the afternoons more than my own house; it's like her home has become my home. She cooks dinner for us, and I help her sometimes, though I never was a cook. We watch movies afterwards, or play board games- she turns out to be a terrible cheat- or do each other's nails and hair.

It's simple and it's nice.

As the month draws to an end, I begin to think on my words prior. I had joked and said we would get married at the end of the month, but it would be kind of cute if we really did. Not that I was ready for marriage now, as she wouldn't be either, but perhaps a set of false rings, promise rings, would be nice. It would be symbolic. And after our marriage we could cross the line to more 'adult' activities.

I want to pick out a nice set of rings for us, so one weekend I go shopping for some. On my way I stumble across Edward and Emmett who are out clothes shopping. We're planning a spring break trip to Cancun and the boys need beach clothes. Being Alice's best friend means she's already gone out of her way to buy me a ba-gillion different clothes for the trip without me asking or needing it.

But that's Alice for you. Overly concerned and thoughtful.

"Rosalie, there you are," Emmett booms out, giving me a bone crushing hug. "I haven't seen you or Bella around in ages. Where do the two of you disappear to during lunch?"

"The closet," Edward says snidely before I can answer.

"What?" Emmett raises his brows in confusion.

"We're working on a special project together," is the first thing that blurts out of my mouth.

" _Real_ special."

I don't need this sort of attitude from Edward so I shoot him a nasty glare. "Emmett would you excuse me and Edward for a bit."

"Uh, sure." The big guy is confused by the animosity between us but walks into the store in the shopping center and leaves us be.

"What is wrong with you," I hiss. "Are you trying to out me? To put public information out there that shouldn't be public."

"Emmett is our friend, or are you worried he might be disgusted with you for your sick romantic inclinations."

My stomach twists in anger. "I hope I just misheard you, because I will not be dealing with your homophobic attitudes."

He scoffs, tucks his hands in his pocket, and looks away.

"Edward, you are being ridiculous," I start and he grits his teeth.

"No, you are being ridiculous. You didn't even tell me- you just-" he pauses here, clenches his jaw. I know the look; it's the same one I get when I'm trying hard not to cry.

"I meant to tell you," I say softly, crossing my arms over my chest. "It- it just wasn't easy to. But I didn't want to hurt your feelings." Well, that was a lie. I had wanted to tell him right away through text but Alice had said to do it in person, and then Bella had gotten me distracted, and now, looking at Edward's hurt face I didn't want to rub it in anymore. I just wanted everything to be okay between us once more.

He exhales through his nose, trying to compose himself. "I cared a lot about Bella, Rosalie. And you stole her from me."

"I didn't steal her. She came to me. You need to stop and get our your silly little crush-"

"Easy for you to say when you got the girl!" his voice rises and several people look in our direction. "And it wasn't some silly little crush. I really fucking loved her. And I still do!"

I couldn't feel what he felt, but were his feelings for Bella so strong as to call it love?

"Eddy-"

"Don't call me that," he hisses, eyes dark. "I don't want to speak to you ever again."

And now I'm fucking pissed. Here I was, feeling bad for dating Bella, trying to apologize to him, and he was behaving like a little bitch about it. "That can be gladly arranged."

He throws me a dark look and storms off.

 **A/N: Drama alert- Edward's throwing a hissy fit, not the first or last of many.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Wilting Roses**

Chapter Twelve: The Unraveling

* * *

 _They always say good things never last._

* * *

 **A/N: Ummmm, so it's been what, like over seven months since the last chapter for this series? Don't have a reason for why this took so long to come out except that I simply got distracted by another fandom. But I am hoping to conclude this story so expect more regular updates until then.**

 **I suggest re-reading the previous chapter as it's been a while.**

The glass reflected my face as I stared down at the rings offered in the window display. They were both silver and slender, with tiny script running on the inside that could be engraved personally. Bella and I had joked about this- about getting matching rings for each other, but for me this was no longer a joke. I intended to buy her a ring, something that was symbolic of our tie to each other, of how we belonged to each other.

The price tag was pretty hefty but I did not mind. I had the money for it and I had no doubt that Bella would be happy with what she got. I pushed my way inside the store and tapped my credit card on the counter. "I want two of those rings," I told the clerk, pointing at the window display.

He nodded his head and moved to get me a pair.

The buying process was quick and soon I was exiting the place with the two rings safely tucked away into a tiny bag. I was brimming with excitement and could barely contain myself. I would give them to Bella at school tomorrow when we had a private moment to ourselves. I almost caved and called Bella to meet me now but I held onto my childish joy. It would be worth the wait to have her open the gifts up tomorrow.

I drove back home and frowned when I recognized the two new cars in the driveway. I parked my car and got out, opening the door to spot some suitcases in the hallway. "Mom? Dad?" I called out. What were they doing back here? They weren't due for another month or two.

"Rosalie, is that you?"

"Yea it's me," I shouted back before finding my mother in the dining room, reading glasses on her nose as she perused the papers in front of her with a frown.

"You sound different. I almost didn't recognize your voice," she commented as a clatter came from the kitchen.

 _Yea that has a tendency of happening when you don't see your children for half a year,_ I mentally rolled my eyes. "What are you doing back so early?"

"Our fundraiser in Ghana got canceled."

"Why?"

"Too much political unrest with NGO's. We had to leave. Which is just fantastic," mother sighs sarcastically. "Now we have to move everything and lose all the money we put on putting it together just because the government doesn't know how to act."

"Are you leaving soon?"

"Yes. Your father and I are only staying here overnight. We need to go meet some of our associates to see if we can find a way to cut our losses and to bring the event over to another country in need. Howard!" she sharply cried out as another commotion arose from the kitchen. "Leave the snacks alone and come see these numbers!" Mother had finally found what she was looking for in the papers and my father emerged from the kitchen, granola bar halfway in his mouth.

"Hey kiddo," he ruffled my hair, afforded me a kiss and went over to mother, the two of them deep in conversation.

I sighed heavily, fixing my carefully done hair that my father had just ruined. The both hadn't seen me in months and couldn't spare to ask me about how my life was going. But I suppose that was too much to ask of them. It was always business with them. "I'm going upstairs to leave you two alone."

"Where's your brother?" Father asked. "Isn't it too late for him to be out?"

"Club afterschool," I tossed over my shoulder and reverting back to my room. There I plopped down on my bed and started on my homework feeling as if my parents being home barely made a difference on my everyday life.

* * *

The next day I woke up, heart pumping with excited energy. This was the day I gave Bella her ring. I jumped out of bed, ready to be there at school extra early so I could catch Bella beforehand. I brushed and styled my hair in a hurry and ate breakfast even faster. Mom and dad weren't even up yet and they probably would be gone by the time I made it back from school.

I left them a goodbye note wishing them well on their trip before I rushed to school, the box with the ring burning in my pocket. I had already slid mine on and it looked so right on my ring finger. I wanted badly to slid it onto Bella's finger but sadly I would not be able to reserve the right, not in public. I would have to content myself with just giving her it.

I was one of the first at school, Bella's dilapidated truck there already. I texted her and asked her where she was. The text came back quickly. It turned out she was in the library catching up on some studying before her tests. I slipped my way into the empty space and sat down next to her, a bit breathless.

"Good morning," she beamed up at me and I was tempted to lean in and kiss her but I was all too conscious of where we were.

"Good morning. I have a surprise for you today."

"Really? What is it?"

I took the ring box out. "I know we joked about this before, but I decided I wanted our little joke to be something more." I popped the lid open and the ring gleamed.

"Oh Rosalie," Bella's enraptured sigh filled my ears as her lips spread wide. "This ring is beautiful."

"Go ahead and put it on," I urged. "I already put mine on." I showed her where it rested on my slender finger. She took the ring and slid it onto her finger and admired it from several angles. "This was really nice of you," she said and leaned in to kiss me. I instinctively backed up, hating the way Bella's face fell at this action.

"Not here," I told her, mindful of the librarian sitting not too far away.

Bella pouted. "Why not? We've made out countless times in the library before."

"But always in the back. Not upfront where anyone could see."

Bella's brows furrowed up. "Rosalie, what are you so scared of?"

"I don't want people knowing about us," I explained, sure that it had been clear to Bella and that Bella never had an issue with this before.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that, Rosalie. I don't want us to hide anymore. I want to show you off as my girlfriend," Bella consciously lowered her voice, her gaze hot on me.

I squirmed in my seat at this. "Bella, you know I can't."

"Why not?"

"I have a reputation and I don't want to have it changed."

"I think you're scared," she accused me.

"Of course I'm fucking scared. Of what others think of me," I whispered harshly. "I'm the resident popular girl. I can't afford people to know this about me. They would eat me alive- in fact, their waiting just for such a slip up like this."

Bella's face scrunched up. "Why does it sound like being gay is something that should be hidden? Why does it sound like you're ashamed of it."

I hated how pinpoint on Bella was. I was scared of anyone knowing my true sexuality and I felt like it was a warranted belief. Coming out in college would be different. Here, everyone was small minded. "You don't know Forks. I've lived here my whole life and I don't want to be judged by these people not even worth to draw air," I growled out, getting frustrated. "And I'm not ashamed. Scared, yes. Still trying to process all this, yes. Discovering myself, certainly." Here I took her hand to reassure her. "I just don't want to come out in high school. When I go away for college and meet people who are open to self discovery, who don't care about how much money or clout I have, then yes. But not to these brainless, spineless leeches that populate this school."

Bella took in a deep inhale here. "Okay, I understand." She squeezed my hand back. Then a giggle burst from her lips. "Do you really think everyone here is a leech?"

I rolled my eyes. "I may be over-exaggerating a bit."

"College it is. You better go to the same one as me," she said warmly.

"There's only one college in Forks and I'm not going to that one. So unless you plan to go somewhere to California..."

"Ugh, all that sun and those tanned people," Bella wrinkled up her nose. "I thought I escaped all that when I moved from Arizona."

We continue to tease each other until the bell rings and classes start for the day.

The rest of the week flies by, and like a secret, we carry those rings with us, not saying a word on it to anyone. Anyone but Alice of course, who knows we are dating and notices the matching jewelry with hawk like vision.

"You got her a ring?" she squeals when she catches us in the parking lot parting ways. "You girls are so cute! So whose last name are you both using?" she playfully asks.

"Hers," Bella and I answer at the same time and we turn to each other with open eyes.

"You wanna be called Swan? It's such a boring and bland name," Bella said in incredulity.

"And you'd rather be called Hale? It has no poetic beauty to it like your's does," I huff out.

"Your first married argument!" Alice squees and I swat at her shoulder playfully. "These are technically only promise rings," I explain because both of us are too young to be married.

"How about Swan-Hale?" Bella compromises.

"I like that," I smile at her. "I like that a lot."

And what I liked even more is the next step these rings promise us. The step to becoming adults. Bella and I want to make our first time special so we're planning it out. I can already imagine a romantic candle lit dinner, followed by a sensual tease that leads us both up to my bed and into delicious pleasure. I couldn't wait and I doubt Bella was any better off with waiting. We didn't have a date or even a concrete plan settled but all we knew was that it would be soon.

I was ecstatic that I would be able to take the next big step in my life with Bella. She was the perfect person to enter that next stage with; I couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else.

"See you," she pecked me lightly on the cheek and got into her truck to head home. Unfortunately we had too much homework this weekend to see each other so we would have to wait until Monday to be together. The thought of a whole weekend without seeing Bella is hard, but I am consoled by the fact that she is only ever a phone call away, or a text nearby.

I say goodbye to her and head out with Alice for some ice cream, not knowing that this would be the last time I get to say bye to Bella as my girlfriend.

* * *

When Bella doesn't answer any of my texts over the weekend I don't think too much of it. We both have a lot of work and she's the more studious one of the two of us. But when she doesn't pick up my phone calls on Monday morning when she's missing from our usual meet up point in the parking lot before class, I begin to worry. Did something happen to her? Is she hurt? Sick?

I worry needlessly and pace around outside before being drawn in by the bell and having to attend class. It turns out she's not in school at all that day and my mood is sour.

Emmett tries to cheer me up at lunch but I nearly chew his head off for trying that so he stops. Jasper doesn't bother with me- he knows my moods too well and how it would be wise to steer clear of them. Alice offers me a sympathetic look because she can garner the reason why I am acting this way. Edward, however, seems almost smug and every time I almost catch him outright smirking at me, he quickly amends his features into something somber.

If I was any less wrapped up in my worrying over Bella, I would notice his behavior and call him out on it, but I don't.

I keep texting Bella, asking if she's okay and what happened but predictably I get no response. And neither does Bella show up to school on Tuesday or Wednesday. I really begin to worry now and so engrossed in my worry I am that I drive over to her place after school. The windows of her room are curtained and dark and it almost looks like no one is there.

Her father opens up the door. "Rosalie, how nice to see you."

"I came to ask if Bella's okay. She hasn't been to school and she hasn't been answering my texts."

"She's not feeling well and she just wants some peace and quiet," he answered, taking a swing from his beer.

"Okay," I nodded my head and felt bile creep up my throat. Was Bella too sick to even text me a simple yes? To text her caring girlfriend even the letter k, to show she was alive and kicking and not ignoring her?

I wondered if I had done anything to piss Bella off but nothing came to mind. On the ride back home I fiddled with my ring and sighed heavily. Hopefully everything would be better tomorrow.

But things only got worse tomorrow.

I woke up to a simple text from Bella that said **I'm breaking up with you.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Wilting Roses**

Chapter Thirteen: Exposed

* * *

 _The Wicked Queen cackled with victorious laughter as she brandished the captive Snow White closer to her. "Looks like your happiness and love is all mine, prince!" she sneered down at prince Rose who stood clad in his armor and feebly held up his sword. He may be tired and he may not know a way to defeat the witch, but he would not stop until Snow would be safe again._

 _"You alone cannot stand up to me," the Queen jeered from atop her jagged cliff as lightening flashed behind her._

 _"He's not alone," said a high pitched voice and right behind prince Rose came the dwarfs. There was Alice the Chipper, Emmett the Strong, Jasper the Brooding, Angela the Nice, Mike the Loyal, Eric the Sober, and Lauren the Grump. "We are all here to help him because we believe in his love. We believe in the power of prince Rose and princess Snow White!_

 _Invigorated_ _, the prince raised his sword high and let out a mighty battle worthy roar, the dwarfs raising their swords behind him in readiness._

 _Then, they charged._

* * *

I sat frozen, staring at the small screen of my phone for what felt like hours but was only minutes. The words had punched the air out of my lungs, made my limbs go heavy.

My heart shook in anguish. What was the meaning of this? Why was Bella breaking up with me? What had brought this on? Was this my fault? Had I upset her by not wanting to come out about our relationship? But she had seemed so understanding when I explained things to her. So then what brought all of this on?

Given my past experiences with love issues and feelings dealing with Bella, I would be broken, staying in my room for days.

Not today.

Today I was going to get some damn answers. There was no way Bella would just randomly break up with me like this. And there was no way in hell I was going to just let her go easily. Not when I had fought so hard for her.

Anger coursed through my veins and it stayed red hot there even as I got dressed and drove off to school. I wandered the halls, trying to see if I could spot Bella, the phone with her incriminating text clutched in my hand hard enough to crack the screen. Was she still at home? Or did she come back?

I received my answer shortly when I saw her.

 _Them._

Wrapped together around each other.

Edward had an arm over Bella's shoulder and was ducking down to press a kiss to her cheek.

I saw red.

Nothing else mattered in that moment. Not even the way Bella did not seem all too comfortable with him.

I wanted to stride over and rip his arm from his body. Rip it away from her, but I didn't. Something held me back and it might have been my saving grace for it certainly would not look good to have a fight break out in the middle of the school hall. Edward spent some more time talking with Bella and then he pressed one more kiss to her and walked away in the opposite direction of me, a swagger to his steps.

She was momentarily alone at her locker, picking out her books for her class with slow hands. I took this chance to rush over to her.

"What is the meaning behind this?" I demanded, holding out the phone with the open text.

She jumped, clearly not expecting me. "Rosalie..." she breathed out, clutching her pounding heart.

"Tell me," I demanded once more, nearly shoving the phone at her face.

She averted her eyes guiltily. "I...I broke up with you."

"Why?"

"I..uh, I realized that I was thinking wrong. That I was only enamored by your looks and that it was admiration I felt for you and not love."

"Bullshit," I spat out, not buying a single word of her unconvincing speech. "I don't believe that for a second. Tell me the real reason."

Bella's lips twisted up as she looked at the floor, scuffing her shoes there. We stood in heated silence, me, chest heaving and ready to punch someone, and her, cold and small like she was trying to make herself disappear from the world, from my wrathful gaze.

"If I didn't break up with you, then he was going to tell everyone." Her tone was small and I barely heard it over the clamor of students coming down the halls.

I knew who he was. There was no doubt.

"Edward blackmailed you?"

"He was technically blackmailing _you,_ " she clarified and raised her head to look at me with pleading eyes. "And I know how much you didn't want this secret revealed, so...so I did what he asked. To protect you."

"He asked you to dump me?"

"And date him."

"Even though you don't like him, he's forcing you to be in a relationship with him?"

She nodded her head slowly, big eyes almost brimming with tears.

I was flabbergasted. Never in all my years of being alive, could I have suspected of Edward stooping this low. Of being able to do such a thing. I couldn't decide if I wanted to strangle him or run him over with my car more. All I knew was I wasn't going to let this stand.

"Rosalie, where are you going?" Bella called out after me as I strode off with big wound up steps.

"I'm going to make things right. Because I care for you and I'm not going to give up so easily."

"Rosalie- I don't want you making things worse!"

Her words cause me to spin on my heels. "How can it get any worse than how it is now?" I indicated between us. "Us broken up and you forced into a relationship you don't want to be in!"

Her silence proves my point and this time when I move on, she doesn't follow me or try to stop me.

I am a woman on a mission and when I get to Edward's classroom, I stand in the doorway and indicate for him to come outside so we can talk. He's in the middle of conversation with his friends and the fact that he's so happy, laughing even, pisses me off more. How could he do something like this? How could he be such a dick?

He doesn't seem at all intimidated by my angry demeanor and slides cockily over to a quiet spot in the corner where we will mostly be safe from prying eyes. I cross my arms over my chest and take a moment to breathe, to get everything under control because right now I feel like my own words will choke me.

"What do you want Rosalie," he drawls, looking bored. God, that just makes me want to punch him even more.

"You know what I want," I growl out, voice low in my throat. "You know what this is about."

"I really don't," he shrugs, uncaring and I cross my arms across my chest tighter so I'm not tempted to punch him anymore than I already am.

"This is about you blackmailing Bella into dating you. Into breaking up with you."

"Oh please," he scoffs. "That's just something she came up with so you'd leave her alone and you're stupid enough to believe it."

And now he was _lying_ to me? God, someone was going to need to hold me back and soon or else I was going to kill him in this hallway. The vein in my neck pulsated hard. "Funny, but Bella would never do that. Unlike you, I actually know what she's like and she would never do that to me. Face facts, Eddy, she's only with you because you blackmailed her, told her you would out us if she didn't. She never liked you, and after you did all this, she hates you now. You're totally irredeemable in her eyes."

Something in one of those sentences I said seemed to finally get to him. He lost his casual demeanor and tightened his jaw. "Fine then," he whispered out, his eyes dark on me. "Take her back then. I'm not going to fight you on it." He smiled, a false thing that dripped with malice, and clapped me on the shoulder. "See ya, Rosie." Then he left back to his class.

Like a tight coil, I slowly uncoiled myself and let out a harsh breath. Well, things had gone better than I expected. There was still so much to clear between us but that would have to happen later. I was still too worked up to be truly happy. I was just relieved that me and Bella could be back together again. I rushed over to report this to her, finding her in her usual spot in the library.

I should have known better. Should have known that Edward's defeat was too swift. Too easy.

But I never truly expected him to turn into such a slime-ball. Given his recent actions I should have known it was par for the course. Yet, Bella was the only one on my mind right now.

"Bella," I whispered as I slid into the seat in front of her. She jumped in surprise again. "Geeze, don't do that. You'll give me a heart attack at this rate." She pressed a hand to her chest though she couldn't hide the curl of a smile at seeing me.

"Good news," I smiled. "Edward's given up. He said he wouldn't bother us anymore."

Bella's jaw dropped open as she blinked rapidly. "You're sure? He gave up so easily?"

"Why shouldn't he, when he's in the wrong?" I had so many choice words and points I'd like to tell him but he had robbed me of the chance by concluding the issue so quickly.

She shrugged. "I don't know. It all...just feels surreal. You sure everything is okay now?"

I nodded my head. "Don't worry. I'll keep us safe. If he bothers you again I won't hesitate to punch him in the face." I reached over and touched the back of her hand.

"And I'll join in," she said earnestly. She didn't look entirely convinced by my words but she wasn't also entirely despairing anymore. "Thank goodness. I couldn't imagine keeping up the act for so long."

"I'm not done with him. He still has a lot of shit to answer for, for making you do that."

"And I'd like to have a word with him too. Don't count me out."

The bell rang at the conclusion of Bella's words, signalling the end of one devastating morning and heralding the ushering in of a new one.

* * *

After Bella's and mine brief artificial break up, we spent the whole evening at my place, just reading on the bed together and talking about minor things, absolutely avoiding the mess of this morning. We parted ways that night with a sweet kiss that seemed to wipe away anything bad that had happened between us.

I was glad that I had fought for my relationship this time rather than be devastated and sit locked up in my room with all those useless emotions. If I had, then who knows what Edward would have asked Bella to do for their relationship. The thought still made my blood boil but less than before.

I went to bed, falling asleep to thoughts of Bella and of what new dates we could go on to wipe away this bad memory. My sweet dreams were interrupted by my cell phone ringing at about six in the morning. I blindly reached for it before answering it.

"Hello?" I asked, my voice muffled by my thick pillows.

"Rosalie, you need to check out Facebook right now." It was Alice and her voice sounded grave and panicked.

I instantly sat awake, because there was very little that could actually make her chipper demeanor drop like this. "Why, what's there?"

"I...It's you. And Bella."

The blood in my veins froze and my stomach dropped. Already an unsavory conclusion had drawn together in my mind. If Alice was the one calling me and she was the only one who knew about me and Bella...then I knew what it was. Putting her on speaker phone and opening up the social media app, my eyes bulged out as my heart raced quickly in my chest.

A picture. A picture of me and Bella in clear liplock in the library.

How...how did this photo surface? Who saw us?

Through my panic one name cut through like a knife. _Edward._

He had seemed entirely too smug, too at ease when I told him to back off of Bella. My fists curled up. I was going to punch the ever living snot out of him. He used to be my friend. How could he do this to me over Bella?

"Rosalie, are you okay?" Alice asked at my long silence.

"Of course I'm not," I rasped back, my breathing heavy. "How could Edward do this to me?"

"We need to call an emergency meeting. Wake up Jasper, and I'll get Emmett." And before she hung up, she added, "and please, don't do anything rash."

"What, like punch Edward in the face?" I said in a voice that was too high pitched.

"Yes, like that. Don't even talk to him."

Even Alice knew Edward had done this. I hung up, and seething, paced my room for a moment to calm myself down. Then, holding up my head, I got dressed and violently knocked on my brother's door. He opened it, shaggy hair in his eyes. He was shirtless, and rubbing his bare chest as he yawned. "What's up?"

"Meeting. Now," I barely grit out and went downstairs.

Ten minutes later and all of us were gathered around my giant kitchen counter. "What's this meeting about?" Emmett asked. "I was having a great sex dream and I had to wake up." He grumbled, hair still slightly messed up from being roughly awoken.

"This is about Rosalie and this," Alice slid the phone to middle of the table, open to the picture of me and Bella. My heart stabbed in my chest as I waited with baited breath on what my friends would say. Would they be disgusted by me? Would they hate me? I never intended on coming out to any of them but I was left with no choice.

"Someone photoshopped you and Bella?" Emmett asked, flicking his eyes up to me and my stormy expression. Alice looked at me, as if wordlessly asking for my permission to proceed. I nodded my head. Sucking in a huge breath, Alice piped up. "That's not photoshopped."

Silence fell over the two boys as they pieced this together.

"Wait, you were dating Bella and you didn't tell us anything?" Emmett burst out at last as the cogs in his brain turned.

"Emmett, that's not the point. The point is, that now the whole school knows," Alice said.

I didn't even bother to read the comments under the photo posted online. I already knew what they would be like- all derogatory.

"Can we curb it? Call it fake news?" Jasper asked, hand on his chin.

Alice shook her head. "We can say whatever we like, but it's too late for that. Multiple pictures have cropped up, all in different places. There's no way to call this fake."

Edward had followed me? Several times? And I entirely had no idea! He was such a creep! It made me hate him all the more. He better hope he did not cross paths with me because I would rip his head right off of his body. He was trying to ruin me!

My phone buzzed and I unlocked the screen to see it was a text from Bella. **I just saw what happened. I'm horrified. Rose, are you okay?**

For some reason Bella's sweet concern brought tears to my eyes. Made me want to crumple up into a tiny ball and have her stroke my hair as I cried. I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat.

"Rose, what do you want to do?" Jasper's voice made me blink back tears and I shook my head out to regain some confidence. "I might as well go through with this. To deny it would make things worse. I need to take a hold of this, and work it to my advantage." A bit of PR work as they would call it in the media.

"We're behind you, a hundred percent," Alice said warmly as she squeezed my hand. I knew she was- but what about the boys? They had glossed over my essential coming out.

"I don't care who you like Rosalie. I know you've struggled with it for a while. I'm just glad you're happy," Jasper said, smiling at me. "That you no longer are the impenetrable ice queen."

I was happy to hear my own brother had accepted me. That he wasn't making a big deal of this.

"I wish you would have told us Rosie," Emmett added. "Now, you can be my wingwoman when getting hot dates," he winked at me playfully.

"If you're not careful, Rosalie will win them away from you," Alice said teasingly.

"You're probably right," Emmett pouted.

"Don't worry. You can have them all. I only want Bella. And I didn't tell you...because I was worried about how I would be treated. Edward knew by accident and it didn't turn out so well. I felt like trusting anyone else was like a game of roulette. It might end up good like it did with Alice knowing, or it might end up bad like Edward knowing."

"You can trust us. I would never hurt my sister," Jasper said softly. "Now, let's determine what to do with Edward. We can't let him get away with this. He hurt one of us, and our top rule was to always have each other's backs."

And just like that the soft mood between us was gone as we discussed the traitor's fate.


	14. Chapter 14

**Wilting Roses**

Chapter Fourteen: A Resolution

* * *

 _"No!" the wicked queen hollered as prince Rose's mighty blade pierced her heart. "You've killed me!"_

 _"I won't let someone like you rip my future away from me," he declared, holding the blade and making it dig deeper as the queen squirmed in pain."I'm done letting you ruin things for me. I am done having you as a rival for my happiness. No longer shall you rob me of my hopes and dreams."_

 _"This isn't over," the queen snarled past a bloodied mouth as prince Rose stood back. Bella rushed to him, holding him in her fright over the dying queen. "I will come back, mark my words!"_

 _"Then we will be ready for you then, and whenever else you decide to come back. And each time we will destroy you," Bella swore as the queen melted into a pile of bubbling goo, her voice silent for once._

 _Bella turned to her brave knight. "I am happy we got to be together after all. I love you."_

 _"And I love you," he replied. And together, they got on a horse and rode off to their happy ending._

* * *

After the meeting at my house, it was show time.

I wasn't going to stay at home and mope over my biggest secret being revealed, despite how much I desired to do so. I had to hold my head tall, show them that I was unbreakable. That I was Rosalie Hale, and still queen of this school. I put on my armor by doing my face and hair, and dressing in my best clothes. I was going to look amazing, and _feel_ amazing. I was going to blow them away by looking perfect, as if what had happened had no effect on me whatsoever.

We arrived at the school together, the boys walking on my outside and Alice right next to me. They were protecting me in their own way. Whenever kids would turn to glance at me, they would just as quickly turn away, catching Jasper's glare, Alice's tight lips, my haughty smirk, and the way Emmett cracked his knuckles menacingly. Edward was no where to be seen yet, but I knew he would make his appearance soon. He wanted to see his handiwork, wanted to gloat, and most certainly wanted to see my downfall.

I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

He would be the one who would be ruined. My true friends would see to that.

I just had to stay strong. Luckily, I shared each of my classes with at least one of my friends, so they kept a look out on me, made sure I was okay. Not that I couldn't handle myself. I could. I was pissed and not devastated as I had first been. Sure, it hurt to be betrayed like this, to be gutted and left out in the open for everyone to examine my secrets, but that hurt had turned into anger. Into a need for vengeance.

If I caught a kid whispering or looking at me, I would glare back at them, or make a slashing motions across my neck. They still feared me enough that they stopped. That was the majority case. Not everyone was like that.

"So, you're a dyke," one of Edward's friends came up to me as I was leaving for my next class. He approached my desk, acting as if I wouldn't hit him. Jasper saw but I signaled him with my eyes to hold back; that I could handle this. "A big fat dyke."

"Did you come here to tell me something I already know? Or do you actually having something smart to say for once?" I said, hefting my purse onto my arm.

My fast speech threw him for a moment; he never was the sharpest tool in the shed. "What?" he let out.

At this I leaned closer. "Tell Eddy boy, that he has a meeting with all of us after school, and that if he wants a home to go back to, he should be there to negotiate stuff with us."

His eyes opened wide. "What-"

I didn't have time to hear his unintelligent repetitions. I left without another word, Jasper trailing me out of the class.

"Are you sure we should have trusted Darren to carry the message to Edward?"

"He's the best bet. You know that boy can't keep his mouth shut." I was eagerly looking forward to teaching Edward a lesson or two.

As the day progressed, I could feel myself grow more and more tense as lunch approached. That would be the defining moment- the chance to turn the tides in my favor. Only if I could pull it off right.

I had mainly kept Bella out of the loop because I didn't want to involve her too much in this mess. Also, she would get less flack if she stayed out of this. She would send me texts asking if I was okay, or how things were going. It made me feel good to see she cared and that she was silently supporting me.

At last, lunch arrived and with sweating palms I entered the zoo of the cafeteria. As predicted, all eyes were on me, which was perfect. I stood in the middle of the room, while my friends sat down at their table. I knew Edward was somewhere in the audience. I could just feel his smarmy gaze on me. I would give him the show he deserved and not the one he wanted.

The room began to quiet down as they saw me waiting. "Could I have everyone's attention?" I called out, to get them to shush more. They did, turning to me with curious gazes.

This was it. This was the moment. To gather confidence I let my gaze fall on Bella who was twisting her hands nervously. For some reason, seeing her nervous made me feel less so. "I'm pretty sure you're all aware of the posts on Facebook this morning." I cleared my throat, my voice wobbling a little. "The posts of me and Bella in lip lock."

There was a small murmur here at that. I let it drift out before I spoke again, my words ringing loudly. "And I'm not here to deny it. I'm here actually to speak out about it. Yes, Bella and I are in a relationship. Yes, we kissed. It's all true."

Now the buzz from the students was louder. They had clearly expected me to deny it.

"I'm not hiding anymore," I raised my voice over them. "Because I am happy to be with Bella. And I am proud to be with her. And if any of you have an issue with that, than I'll gladly acquaint your face with my fist."

"And that goes for me too," Alice got up, drawing some eyes to her. "No one hurts my friend."

"No one hurts my sister and her girlfriend," Jasper also got up.

"No one hurts my family," Emmett added on, rising to his feet, pounding a hand into his palm.

Bella too got up. "And no one hurts my girlfriend," she said, tears of happiness pressing at the corners of her eyes at being able to express that- at being able to call me a girlfriend publically.

The cafeteria was in complete silence until Alice broke it, clapping encouragingly. Jasper, Emmett, Bella followed and before I knew it, the rest of the school was clapping as well. Not everyone, for some threw me disgusted looks. And half of the applause was out of confusion as if they truly didn't get why we were clapping, but I didn't care. I had come out and I felt so much pressure leave my shoulders. Smiling, I sat back down right next to Bella, and we held hands on top of the table, enjoying our meal and conversation.

* * *

A much more unpleasant conversation awaited after school when we were supposed to meet up with Edward. There was no telling if the scoundrel would come, but I hoped he would, so I could turn that lopsided grin on his into a permanent feature.

We loitered by the back of the school, silently waiting for Edward. Even Emmett was too tense to make some snarky remark. At last, the boy made an appearance. His face was carefully neutral so it was hard to read what he was thinking or feeling.

"You sure took your time coming here," Alice said, her naturally high voice low in disapproval. She tightened her arms over her chest and Emmett saddled himself next to me, knowing that I was legit not too far off from leaping out and punching Edward. If he so much as breathed wrong in my direction I would be all on him.

He didn't say anything to that, just jerked his chin up and gave a lazy eye roll like we were the idiots here. A low growl rumbled to life in my throat and Emmett's giant hand clamped down on my shoulder to remind me to hold still. "Let me punch him, just once," I said to Emmett. "That's all I need."

"Not yet," Emmett whispered lowly in my ear. It was enough to make me stop squirming even as my muscles itched.

"Edward Masen. This meeting has been called in order to question your recent activity towards one of our members. Upon entering this special group, you promised to uphold our moral code and to always be a friend in need. A friend does not act the way you do-by hurting a fellow member by airing out secrets and private information. Thus, by unanimous vote we decided to expel you from the group. You no longer have the privilege of this group and should you seek to make further contact with us, or even try to harm us, than those times we will come at you full force because you are no longer a friend of ours," Jasper said, in that calm yet commanding tone of his. "Do you have anything to say?"

He glared at us, venom in his eyes. "I can't believe you sided with her," he spat out, not even looking at me.

"She wasn't the one who violated the rules, and frankly, we liked Rosalie a whole hell of a lot more than you, because at least she's not some whiny prick," Emmett said and then he lifted his hand up from my shoulder. That was all the permission I needed. I curled my hand into a fist.

"Before you go, I have something to say," I added to Edward who had already turned to leave.

He stopped. "I have nothing to-" he said as he turned to face me and that's when my fist collided with his face.

He fell right onto the ground, clutching his bleeding nose. "I'd have more to say, but I don't think you'd live to hear it," I hissed down at him. My fist throbbed; I had put everything into that punch. The pain felt nice because it meant I had finally punched Edward and made him hurt at least a fraction of what pain he made me feel.

Then, leaving him there, we all left, barely sparing a glance backwards.

After all that, life sort of just...carried on. The gossip around me began to die down and I could focus on my normal life. On hanging out with my friends or on studying for exams.

Now that Edward was thrown out from our group, Bella took his place.

She made a better member than he ever did in my opinion. But hey, my opinion might be heavily biased.

"And I solemnly swear to always protect my brothers and my sisters," Bella pledged, one hand raised as the flames of the bonfire danced across her face. "That I will never betray them, and always be there for them when needed."

"Welcome to the Cool Club," Alice said as we all clapped at Bella's speech's conclusion. "We now crown you as a core member. May we have long nights out, lots to drink and talk about, and always have good memories." She approached Bella and placed a lei around Bella's neck to cement the ceremony. Bella hugged Alice and then came to sit by me on the bench by the bonfire as we all clapped at her acceptance. It was funny how just a couple of months ago, I had sat here in the middle of winter with her head on my lap and Edward had exposed me for my feelings. I had been terrified then, but now, with chill of winter dissolving into spring, I felt more content than ever.

I handed her an opened beer and she took it. "So," she said when she had taken a long swig. "Just what exactly did I get myself into?"

I chuckled. "You would have joined a cult without even questioning it?"

"Well, I had to. They had this really cute girl named Rosalie there. I kind of couldn't say no."

I can't help the smile that overtakes my cheeks. "Well, it's nothing serious. We just have this whole ceremony for shits and giggles. All we do is have each others backs. And we do stupid events from time to time. Bonfires, cookouts, parties, you know, typical teenage stuff. And then sometimes we do really nice things, like helping out in soup kitchens or helping charity events."

"That's really sweet," Bella gushed. "I can't wait to do those things with all of you."

"You won't have to wait long. We got something big coming up."

Of course, it wasn't all without trial these future days. I would still get dirty looks from kids in the hallways; sometimes they might say a derogatory word or two, but I let it all brush off of me. I have better things to do than waste my time on some kid from a small town with no future.

Edward stays out of our way mainly in the school halls and outside in town; it's a hard feat given how both locations are small and we have to occasionally share the same space. We don't want him back in our group and he doesn't dare to come back. While explusing him and punching him was minor retaliation for what he had done, something told me he was going to have a hard time with getting accepted to any college if we had our say. Because we all knew he hadn't truly learned his lesson and that he was scheming to take all of us down. He was petty like that, given how he had schemed against me in order to try to win over a girl that didn't even like him. Truly, there was no telling to what depraved depths he would sink to.

Not like we would let that happen. The end of sophomore year might be approaching but we still had two more years in this school until Bella and I were free to truly be ourselves in college.

But with her by my side, I didn't mind waiting.

 **A/N: So this is the end of this story. It took longer than anticipated to complete but at least it's done now. I left some plot lines unresolved to give a more hopeful yet uncertain feel to the future for the characters, which I feel is par for how real life goes.**

 **Thanks to those who stuck on this journey. I'm looking forward to writing more Rosella in the future.**


End file.
